Tragic golf cart accident in Statesville in 2022 | Photo: WCNC

Nov. 26. The Cornelius Police Dept. has golf carts on their radar as the low-speed vehicles proliferate on residential streets.

Background

—On June 13, 2022, a golf cart crash in Statesville killed three people and injured three others.

—Samantha Miller was killed in a golf cart crash on her wedding night in Folly Beach, South Carolina on April 28, 2023:

To legally operate a golf cart on a public street in North Carolina, the vehicle must be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles or there must be a local ordinance regulating the use of golf carts on public streets in the area the vehicle is being operated.

The Town of Cornelius has not adopted an ordinance regulating the use of golf carts on public streets, according to CPD Chief David Baucom.

Chief Baucom

Details

—To register a golf cart with the state, the cart must be professionally altered so it is more like an electric car than a golf cart and it must meet the equipment requirements of a “low speed” vehicle as defined by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 49 C.F.R. § 571.500. A low speed vehicle must be equipped with headlamps, stop lamps, turn signal lamps, tail lamps, reflex reflectors, a parking brake, rearview mirrors, a windshield, windshield wipers, speedometer, seat belts and vehicle identification number (VIN).

—Once the vehicle has been modified with all of the required equipment the vehicle will have to be inspected by a NCDMV Inspector. The Inspector will complete a report confirming the vehicle is equipped for road use and meets the Federal DOT safety standards for a “low speed” vehicle. The owner may then go to a local NCDMV office, submit the inspection report, submit proof of liability insurance and apply for a title and registration plate.

—A properly registered golf cart or “low speed vehicle” may only be operated on streets and highways where the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less, but may safely cross a road or street at an intersection with a posted speed higher than 35 mph. The operator must be at least 16 years of age and in possession of a valid driver’s license issued by North Carolina or any other state. The operator must comply with all traffic rules and regulations adopted by the State of North Carolina, Mecklenburg County and Town of Cornelius governing the operation of motor vehicles.

—The operator of a golf cart or “low speed vehicle” must have, in his/her possession, a valid driver’s license and abide by all traffic laws and regulations, including passenger safety restraint laws. Any person found illegally operating a golf cart on the streets of Cornelius risks having the vehicle impounded and being charged for failing to register a vehicle, failing to carry liability insurance, expired/no inspection and improper equipment. In cases where the driver is not the owner, both the driver and owner may be charged.

—They cannot be operated on sidewalks.