GOLF CARTS 2 WALMART - GC2W – Sun City Center – Hillsborough County

TAMPA - In the neighborhood of Sun City Center, the golf cart is king. Every day hundreds of residents use golf carts on the streets in this south Hillsborough County community. Hillsborough County commissioners are considering building a cart path across a field from East Del Webb Boulevard to a signalized crossing at U.S. 301 and Cape Stone Avenue. The path will cost about a quarter of a million dollars according to Public Works Director Bob Gordon.

Recently, a group calling itself GolfCarts2Walmart, or GC2W, launched a petition drive that garnered 4,400 signatures. A resident has met with state Department of Transportation officials to make sure they had no objections to golf carts crossing at Cape Stone Avenue. DOT is supportive of the crossing. Gordon said if the commission approves the project the developers will probably convey an easement and the project should be completed by late January or early February 2010.

Golf carts and cars and trucks on the same roads have the potential for serious injuries. If you have been injured in a golf cart accident, call the TRIPP LAW FIRM – Personal Injury Law for an immediate case evaluation. We are available 24 hours a day.

Call us NOW at 888-392-LAWS (5297)

www.trippfirm.com – Prompt and Aggressive Representation.

NO FEES or NO COSTS if NO RECOVERY.

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH GOLF CART ACCIDENT - Pinellas County Florida

PINELLAS COUNTY - The Indian Rocks Beach City Commission voted to make golf carts street legal on most of its roadways. If you've never been there, Indian Rocks is a quaint little beach town dotted with cottages along a white sandy beach. Many residents get around on foot or by bike, visiting the local art shops and restaurants.

To be street legal a golf cart must be equipped with seat belts, headlights, turn signals, stop lamps and parking brakes, a windshield, rear view mirror and can only be driven by a licensed driver. It's not all good news though. The vote permits golf carts on streets owned and operated by the municipality, but not on Gulf Blvd, which is owned by the state (South of Walsingham) and the county (North of Walsingham). In order to get to the beach, drivers must cross Gulf Blvd. The city will need to address whether or not carts are able to safely cross Gulf Blvd and identify crossing locations with signage. Indian Rocks Beach is the first of the gulf beaches to adopt golf carts, but there are a few other nearby communities that permit them.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a golf cart accident on Indian Rocks Beach call the Tripp Law Firm for a FREE telephone consultation. We are former residents of Indian Shores.

TRIPP LAW FIRM, P.A. – A Personal Injury Law Firm that is Dedicated to Helping Injured People throughout the State of Florida.

CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION - 1 (888) 392-LAWS (5297)

Prompt and Aggressive Representation, with a personal touch.

NO FEES OR COSTS IF NO RECOVERY. www.trippfirm.com

LAKEWOOD RANCH ♦ GOLF CART ACCIDENTS ♦ Master-planned GOLF COMMUNITY in MANATEE COUNTY

MANATEE COUNTY – The 7000 acre master-planned, Lakewood Ranch Golf Community is reminding residents of the rules and regulations for golf carts. FLORIDA LAW:

• prohibits carts to be driven on the sidewalks;
• requires all drivers to have a valid driver’s license and obey the traffic laws when operating a cart;
• only allows carts with headlights, brake lights, turn signals and a windshield to be on the designated roads before sunrise and after sunset;
• requires carts to have working brakes, steering, safe tires, a rearview mirror and red reflectors in the front and back, on the roadways;
• gives pedestrians the right of way before carts.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a golf cart accident, CALL the TRIPP LAW FIRM for an immediate FREE telephone case evaluation.

Florida Injury Attorney G. Alan Tripp, Jr., and the injury law team are available 24 hours a day.

CALL US NOW at (888) 392-LAWS (5297)

Prompt and Aggressive Representation – www.trippfirm.com

GOLF CART ACCIDENT ♦ passenger in golf cart dies after cart hit by van ♦ Florida

According to Florida Highway Patrol troopers said, a Florida man died from injuries he received when the golf cart he was riding in was struck by a van. Two men were in a golf cart when they were struck from behind by a Ford van with four occupants.

The violent impact pushed the golf cart onto the west shoulder of the road. Troopers indicated alcohol and darkness were factors in the crash. The golf cart did not have lights, troopers said.

The investigation continues.

www.trippfirm.com

GOLF CARTS ON CITY STREETS ♦ ARE THEY INSURED? ♦ ARE THE COVERED? ♦ PUBLIC ROADS ♦ LOCAL POLICE ♦ PROOF of INSURANCE REQUIRED

Many golf cart owners mistakenly believe their homeowners insurance, covers them for liability in event of any accidental occurrence with their golf cart. THIS IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE!! Many homeowners polices only cover golf carts for liability purposes, “as long as they are used for golfing purposes.” Should you use your golf cart for any other purpose but for golfing, you are opening yourself up to personal liability should you be involved in an accident.

We encourage you to contact your insurance agent and discuss purchasing a separate golf cart policy or if possible, have an endorsement written to be included on your homeowners policy. There will however, be a premium charge for the golf cart endorsement. The premium charged is well worth the coverage and peace of mind knowing that you are covered for using your golf cart around your local community.

In addition to having insurance, it is advisable to consider LOW SPEED VEHICLE and GOLF CART SAFETY TRAINING: Click on this link: www.nctr.usf.edu/projects/415-14.htm

TRIPP LAW FIRM, P.A. – A Personal Injury Law Firm that is Dedicated to Helping Injured People throughout the State of Florida.

CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION - 1 (888) 392-LAWS (5297)

Prompt and Aggressive Representation, with a personal touch.

NO FEE OR COSTS IF NO RECOVERY. www.trippfirm.com

Elderly woman injured in Sun City Center golf cart accident • SUN CITY CENTER • Hillsborough County Sheriff's office investigating

SUN CITY CENTER - A recent golf cart accident in a Publix Super Market parking lot put an 82-year-old woman in the hospital with a leg injury, deputies say. The 82-year old woman had just parked her cart and was walking into the grocery store at 4860 Sun City Center Blvd., when a 76-year-old's golf cart jumped the curb while she was backing out and struck the leg of the pedestrian, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reported.

The 82-year-old woman was taken to Tampa General Hospital with nonlife threatening injuries. Deputies are investigating the cause of the accident.

www.trippfirm.com

Lowspeed vehicles • Golf cart • Accident • Parking lot • Golf community • Sun City • Hillsborough County • Mainlands • Pinellas County • Pinellas Park

According to a recent article published by the INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY, in 1998 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) established a limited set of safety standards for low-speed vehicles (LSVs) intended to apply to vehicles used "to make short trips for shopping, social, and recreational purposes primarily within retirement or other planned communities with golf courses." To qualify as an LSV, a vehicle must have 4 wheels and a top speed of at least 20 mph, but it cannot exceed 25 mph.

LSVs are exempt from most federal safety standards that apply to motor vehicles, and they are not required to meet any criteria for vehicle crashworthiness. Each LSV must be equipped with headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, reflectors, mirrors, parking brake, windshield, and seat belts. States, not NHTSA, are responsible for regulating the operation of motor vehicles on public roads and for handling LSV titling and registration. Most states allow LSVs to attain speeds no greater than 25 mph on roadways with speed limits of no more than 35 mph. Three states (Connecticut, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania) do not have statutes allowing the use of LSVs on their public roads. Many states allow their departments of transportation or local jurisdictions to restrict the use of LSVs on their roads.

Many ask the following questions. On which roads are low-speed vehicles permitted? What is the top speed permissible for low-speed vehicles? In the State of Florida, the answers are: LSV’s are permitted to be operated on Florida roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less. LSV’s speed must not exceed a top speed of 25 mph.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a low-speed vehicle accident, call the TRIPP LAW FIRM – Personal Injury Law for an immediate FREE case evaluation.

Florida Injury Attorney G. Alan Tripp, Jr., and the INJURY LAW TEAM are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. CALL NOW to discuss your case (888) 392-LAWS (5297).

NO FEES or NO COSTS if NO RECOVERY. www.trippfirm.com

GOLF CART CRASH • ACCIDENT with motor vehicle • SERIOUS INJURIES • no insurance • WalMart PARKING LOT • Freedom Park • Pinellas Park • Mainlands •

PINELLAS COUNTY - The City of Pinellas Park is considering allowing golf carts to be legal transportation on some Pinellas Park streets if a new ordinance is passed by the city council. Pinellas Park leaders have drafted an ordinance to turn Mainlands Boulevard, 40th Street and 102nd Avenue into golf cart-friendly streets. Some area residents already drive their golf carts on the streets, and the Wal-Mart Supercenter has parking spots designated just for golf carts.

Some of the residents in the area already drive their golf carts to meet friends at the Mainlands Golf Course, visit friends, go to the clubhouse and even travel to the local Wal-Mart Supercenter on U. S. 19 in Pinellas Park. They will be driven on the same roads that cars, trucks and commercical vehicles use. The brakes on golf carts were designed to be used on a grass golf course, not on the the public roads where sudden emergencies may occur! This is a SAFETY CONCERN.

Approval of this ordinance will give local residents the opportunity to use a limited number of roads in Pinellas Park, but at what cost? THE COST IS - the safety of unrestrained drivers and passengers of these golf carts put them at risk for serious personal injuries should they become involved in a crash with a motor vehicle. To read more about Vehicle Performance Characteristics and Seat Belt Effectiveness in Low Speed Vehicles (LSV's) and GOLF CARTS - CLICK ON THIS LINK:

www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-01/esv/esv19/05-0431-W.pdf

If you or a loved one has been injured in a golf cart accident, call the TRIPP LAW FIRM - Personal Injury Law at (888) 392-LAWS (5297).

Florida Injury Attorney G. Alan Tripp, Jr. and the INJURY LAW TEAM are available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. CALL NOW for your FREE telephone case evaluation.

www.trippfirm.com

GOLF CARTS & LOW SPEED VEHICLES (LSV)

GENERAL INFORMATION

If the operator of a golf cart of LSV were to commit a traffic infraction like running a stop sign, crossing over two lanes of traffic to make a left turn, speed greater than 20 mph (golf cart) 25 mph (LSV), the operator could be issued a traffic citation. Remember, golf carts and LSV’s are much smaller than regular motor vehicles and will lose the battle every time. There are no air bags or a chassis to absorb impacts.

Always use your turn signals, and check your blind spots. When turning left, always move into the motor vehicle traffic lane and turn from that position. NEVER make a left hand turn from the golf cart lane. Due to the small size and limited visibility of the directional lights on a golf cart, use hand signals to indicate your intentions.

LOW SPEED VEHICLES

Florida Statute 320.01(42) defines a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) as a four wheel vehicle whose top speed is greater than 20 mph but does not exceed 25 mph.

Florida statute 316.2122 states that a low speed vehicle may operate on streets where the posted speed limit is 35 mph or less. The vehicle can also cross intersecting roadways where the speed is greater than 35 mph. It also requires that the operator of a low speed vehicle must be a licensed driver. The vehicle must have a registered license plate and be insured. The vehicle must be equipped with standard safety equipment. A simple rule of thumb: An LSV can be operated like an automobile on a road whose speed limit is 35 mph or less. There are numerous makes of low speed vehicles, some look like golf carts while others are readily identifiable.

LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Florida Statute 320.01(22) specifies that a golf cart is a vehicle that is NOT capable of exceeding 20 mph. It should be noted that it is illegal for a manufacturer or a dealer to make, modify or sell any golf cart that is capable of speeds greater than 20 MPH. Violations of this restriction could result in charges being brought against the person or company producing or modifying said vehicle.

If you have been injured in a golf cart or low speed vehicle accident - CALL THE TRIPP LAW FIRM FOR A FREE CONSULTATION TO DISCUSS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS 1 (888) 392-LAWS (5297).