Florida is the golf course capital of America. Year-round warm weather, big-name resorts, easy greenery, and accessible public courses makes Florida a golf mecca for both visitors and residents. However, with great golfing comes many golf carts, and considering how much golf cart injuries and deaths are on the rise, many drivers are not operating these miniature motor vehicles with great responsibility. Designed to be used at speeds under 15 miles an hour off of main roads, golf carts often lack safety features such as signal lights, windshield wipers, seatbelts, and mirrors.
At sports events, college campuses, airports, and in hospitals, golf cart accidents are piling up. The spike is particularly egregious in retirement communities, where residents with aging faculties zoom around in their golden years. In one Florida retirement community outside of Orlando, there have been more than a dozen golf cart-related deaths in the last six years and numerous injuries due to collisions with motor vehicles or being ejected from their carts.
Who’s Most Likely To Be injured in A Golf Cart Accident?
It may come as no surprise, but both data and anecdotal evidence shows that golf cart accidents are the most likely to involve children and the elderly. Since you don’t need a license or even verification of sight to operate a golf cart, and they tend to be common forms of transportation around schools, residential areas, and retirement communities in Florida – where children and the elderly congregate – these demographics can easily hop on a cart and get into an accident. Moreover, children and elderly folks are not exactly known for making responsible decisions and awareness of their surroundings.
What Are The Most Common Causes of Golf Cart Injuries and Deaths?
As ridiculous as it may sound to be hit by a golf cart, the resulting injuries – and even fatalities – are no joke. And in Florida, where we have an abundance of children and retirees along with an abundance of golf courses and mowed expanses, golf cart fatalities are a very real occurence. These are the most common causes of golf cart injuries and deaths:
- Sudden reversal while driving downhill, causing the cart to tip over
- Overcrowding with too many passengers, unbalancing the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash
- Limbs or heads hanging outside the cart
- Driving in uneven or wet terrain
- Distracted driving, such as using cell phones, drinking, or eating while operating a golf cart
- Operating a golf cart while intoxicated
Any one – or several – of these circumstances can easily end up in tragedy, with driver, pedestrian, or passenger injuries such as:
- Concussions
- Fractures
- Lacerations
- Spinal injuries
- Partial or complete paralysis
- Death
What Should I Do If I Was Involved In A Golf Cart Accident?
If you were injured in a golf cart accident due to the operator’s negligence, you should consult with an experienced personal injury attorney, who will evaluate your case and advise you on next steps.
Contact Us Today
BCN Law Firm is a personal injury law firm based in Central Florida specializing in personal injury cases such as slip-and-fall accidents, golf cart injuries, and auto accidents. Call BCN Law Firm to consult with an experienced golf cart injury attorney today.