Golf carts are small powered, three-four wheeled vehicles powered by batteries to transport golfers and equipment on a golf course. These small vehicles are vital to the golfers because they do not have to walk long distances and tire themselves. Initially meant for use on golf fields, these carts are now used for many other purposes. These diversified functions have led to an increase in cart accidents in the recent past.
The primary cause of golf carts accidents is overturning. This is mainly due to its lack of stability. The center of gravity for most three wheeled carts is hard to determine thus making them overturn most of the time. Vehicle collision with these carts has also increased. Being small, the driver of the oncoming vehicle is mainly unable to identify them and they accidentally collide. The carts can at sometimes be hard to control and end up colliding with stationary objects causing the golfers to sustain injuries.
Falling from a moving cart causes one to sustain injuries. One can fall when the cart takes a bend or when one sees it headed for an accident. It can also run on over a person who has divided concentration.
You can also sustain injuries when getting into or out of a cart. Being small, one can hit his limbs or head when attempting to get out and cause head or even brain damage.
Golf carts require maintenance most the times. This will ensure that the braking systems are intact and functioning because this is one of the most cause of carts accidents. With the breaking system only on the rear axle wheels, braking power is limited. In most cases, rear wheel brakes lead to tire skidding and reduced stability leading to easy falling of cars when brakes are applied harder. The brakes can at sometimes fail when on a downhill slope.
Insufficient safety features also causes cart accidents. Rear facing carts are associated with passenger ejection, as most of them do not have brakes on all the three or four wheels. With these increased accidents due to falling, there’s need to effectively improve the safety features in these carts.
Another problem facing carts is operator error. Misuse and lack of training on the driver’s part plays a role in the increased accidents. There is need for cart drivers to possess a driver’s license and attend safety and operational training and legal driving age for golfers should be set.
The government should be tentative and put rules and regulations to be used by golf cart drivers to curb the rising number of accidents.
Because the functions of golf carts are proportionally increasing with their accidents, measure should be taken by the government, drivers, users and manufactures of these tiny useful cars to reduce accidents and unexpected passenger ejection during golf course and other functions. However, as tiny as they are, their accidents can cause serious repercussions on a person’s health or even death.
