With weather improving, golf cart zones likely to become an issue, again

Q: I live in Birch Bay, and we have a mix of fast drivers trying to get to work and slow golf carts in no hurry at all on the same road. How do you drive in a golf cart zone?

A: One bite at a time. No, wait. That’s the punch line to a different joke. But I feel like there should be a punch line to your question. Something about drivers or putters, maybe. Rather than try to think up what would inevitably be a lousy joke, I’ll explain the laws around golf carts on public roads. From there I think we can figure out how to drive in a golf cart zone.

Let’s start by defining a golf cart. The legal definition is pretty much in line with the common idea of a golf cart: a gas- or electric-powered four-wheeled vehicle originally designed for operation on a golf course. The law adds one more detail we don’t normally include in the layperson’s concept of a golf cart; a 20 mph maximum speed. Does that mean if your golf cart can go faster than 20 mph that it has existentially transcended its golf cart-ness? No. It just means that your golf cart doesn’t comply with the law, so it wouldn’t be legal to drive on the road in a golf cart zone.

I’ve used the term “golf cart zone” a few times now, so I should probably clarify what that is. Golf cart zones are a fairly recent addition to our law, added in 2010. The law allows local governments to create zones where golf carts can be used on public roads, subject to some limitations. The zones can only be established on roads with a maximum 25 mph speed limit. Golf cart drivers are subject to all the rules of the road. (Yes, that should be obvious, but I point it out because it’s clearly stated in the golf cart law.) Golf carts can’t be driven at night unless equipped with all the proper lighting equipment required by law. You can’t just duct tape some flashlights to your hood and think you’re ready to go.

State law doesn’t require a driver of a golf cart to have a driver license as long as they are at least 16 years old and have completed driver’s ed or have previous experience as a licensed driver. However, Whatcom County specifies in its ordinance that golf cart drivers on public roads must have a driver’s license. Even in golf cart zones that don’t have a requirement for a driver’s license (there are several around the state), you can’t drive a golf cart if your license has been revoked.

A few more rules: Golf carts must have reflectors, seat belts and rearview mirrors. Golf cart zones must be clearly marked by signs at the boundaries. Any collision involving a golf cart must be reported following the same rules as any other motor vehicle.

Once you read all the rules it becomes apparent that driving a golf cart is kind of like driving a car with a 20 mph governor. (And realistically many carts top out at around 15 mph.) But I suspect that the original question isn’t so much about the rules and more about how cars and golf carts can get along. Here are a few suggestions for both cart and car drivers.

If you’re driving a golf cart, don’t forget about the slow-moving vehicle law. If you have five or more vehicles behind you, you’re required to pull off the road at your next safe opportunity to let the folks behind you pass. Plus, doing it makes you a better human.

If you’re in a car, have a little patience. The 25 mph speed limit is a maximum, not a minimum or even an average. If the golf carts are out on the road, the weather is probably nice enough to bring out the bike riders, the seaside walkers and the kids headed to the beach. A golf cart zone, by its nature, is generally in a recreation area. It’s never a great idea to speed, but an area full of vulnerable humans is not the place to make up time on your trip to work.

One more thing: Golf carts and recreation belong together. For some people, impairing substances and recreation go together. But that doesn’t mean golf carts are a transportation solution if you’re impaired. You can get a DUI in a golf cart just like you can in a car.

Doug Dahl is a manager with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Region 11 and publishes TheWiseDrive.com.