Courtesy Provo City
Golf carts line up during the Provo Advantage Economic Summit on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021.
Lindon City could see a new ordinance regarding the use of golf carts on public roads.
Mike Brower, Lindon City chief of police, gave a presentation during the Lindon City Council meeting Monday on a potential ordinance related to the use of golf carts on city roads.
An ordinance passed by Lindon City restricting the use of golf carts on certain roads would be admissible under Utah Code Section 41-6a-1510, which states that cities are allowed to pass ordinances controlling traffic on their roads.
Additionally, this section of the Utah Code also specifies that any ordinance put in place by a city must specify where a golf cart can be driven, who may operate a golf cart and the hours that a golf cart can be driven.
Utah Code Section 41-6a-1510 states that golf carts must comply with the same requirements as a bicycle for traffic rules, which could create issues, particularly at intersections. A person operating a bicycle approaching a stop sign may proceed through an intersection without stopping if they slow down and yield to pedestrians as well as other traffic.
“Most crashes occur at intersections; most of our crashes here in Lindon occur at intersections,” Brower said. “Part of this bike code brings up public safety concerns for me at intersections. People are distracted. That’s why most of these crashes occur in the first place — people aren’t paying attention.”
Brower referenced an eight-year study conducted in a Florida community on golf cart crashes, which found that of all crashes, 48% resulted in hospitalization, severe trauma or death.
“Golf carts were designed and made for golf courses. Now that they’ve kind of transitioned into some areas, their speeds as low as 11 miles per hour and the way they’re designed, they can tip over pretty easily at 11 miles per hour,” Brower said. “Even at 11 miles per hour, a child falling out, it’s gonna cause some injuries there.”
This is one of several conversations on the safety of allowing golf carts on public roads that have begun all over Utah County. According to Brower, much of the discourse surrounding the use of golf carts on city roads has stemmed from House Bill 184, Municipal Regulation of Golf Carts, which became law in 2020 and authorizes a municipality to allow golf carts to operate on a highway during specific circumstances.
“Elk Ridge City kind of pushed for it,” he said. “They have a golf course up there and they wanted residents to be able to transport over to the golf course with golf carts and use city streets to get around.”
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