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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Ind. Law - More on "City considers allowing golf carts on streets"

Updating this ILB entry from May 30th, Jenny Peter of the Vincennes Sun Commercial reports:

An ordinance drafted by VPD Chief Tom Grove on allowing golf carts on certain city streets was presented to the city's Board of Works several weeks ago for consideration, and Mayor Al Baldwin designated a committee - consisting of himself, Grove, Assistant Police Chief Nancy Holbrook, City Attorney Dave Miller and businessman Jim Gislason - to review it. The committee began looking to other communities that had adopted similar golf cart ordinances and used one from Gas City in northern Indiana as a model.

The state does not regulate the use of golf carts on public streets.

Under the proposed ordinance, the carts would first have to be inspected by the police department - for a fee of $25 - and issued a sticker of compliance. Each cart must have headlights, tail lights, brake lights, a slow moving vehicle placard, a rear view mirror, seatbelts for all occupants, and either a safety flag or strobe light extending at least four feet above the rear fender.

Only those over the age of 16 and with a valid driver's license would be eligible to drive, and the owner must have at least liability insurance on the golf cart.

Once deemed legal, there would be restrictions on how the carts could be used. They would be prohibited on all state and U.S. highways as well as high traffic areas, such as Hart, Willow, St. Clair and Sixth streets. Vigo Street from Sixth Street to the Lincoln Memorial Bridge also would be off limits.

Violators could be fined $100 for each offense, and their permit to operate a golf cart could be revoked for at least a year if caught violating the ordinance twice.

The ordinance is scheduled to go before the city council July 28. It likely then will go to the council's public safety committee for further review.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 22, 2008 05:23 PM
Posted to Indiana Law