Jerry Deem may be the only golf cart owner legally driving on public roads in Fairview Beach. That’s because, technically, his golf cart is not a golf cart. It’s defined under state law as a “low speed vehicle.” The critical differentiator: The golf cart abides by state safety requirements to be equipped with “head lights, brake lights, tail lights, reflex reflectors, an emergency brake, an externally mounted rearview mirror, an internally mounted rearview mirror, a windshield, one or more windshield wipers, a speedometer, an odometer, braking for each wheel, a safety belt system, and a vehicle identification number.”
Like most golf carts, reports Phyllis Cook with the Journal Press, Deem’s four-seat vehicle is battery-operated. Recharged with household current, the vehicle can run about 30 miles — more than Deem needs to putter around Fairview Beach.
All that safety equipment adds significant cost to golf carts, prices of which typically run between $2,000 and $7,000, depending on size and features. The safety requirements strike me as overkill for a vehicle with a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour. Shouldn’t it be state policy to encourage the use of low-polluting electric buggies for use on local roads?
Some readers probably think I’m off my rocker for publishing so many posts on the topic of electric golf carts. I haven’t researched this yet, so I’m willing to stand open to correction, but I’ll wager that electric buggies are the fastest growing transportation mode in the country right now. They’re increasingly popular in resort areas like Fairview Beach, and it won’t be long before they enter the mainstream.
I was chatting yesterday with Casey Sowers and Dave Anderson, developers of the proposed Roseland project in Chesterfield County. They would like to create a New Urbanism community where so many needs — jobs, housing, retail, services, amenities, etc. — are met within the bounds of the project that many families would feel comfortable trading in a regular car for an electric vehicle. So enamored are they with the idea of electric vehicles, that they’re playing with the idea of creating parking spaces with free electric recharge.
Think of the advantages: Roseland residents would save money because buggies are cheaper than cars, giving them more disposable income. Buggies pollute less, and they require smaller parking spaces. And, darn it, they’re just more fun — they come in a mind-bending assortment of designs and color schemes. Just look at the custom paint job on the photo above!
As golf carts/buggies take off in popularity, we’ll see major project developers designing communities from the ground up to accommodate them, just like pedestrians and bicycles. At some point, the Commonwealth of Virginia will have to take them seriously.
(Photo credit: Lifted Golf Carts.)
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