Satellite Beach may soon get golf cart-friendly for ages 16 and older on all of its streets except South Patrick Drive and State Road A1A – by making it easier for owners to register them and less costly to insure.
Satellite Beach Police Chief Jeff Pearson reviewed the issue at the July 3 City Council meeting and recommended a new ordinance be created.
Pearson explained that state law now allows golf carts to be modified to become street legal at 25 mph or less, but said the state registration process had also become “extremely tedious and expensive,” requiring golf carts to be trailered for inspections.
The local proposal is to create an ordinance to “mirror the state statutes and allow golf carts to be made street legal but have (inspections) done by the city” to save some money for the residents and to charge city fees for the service.
“You still are accomplishing the safety with the seatbelts and all that the state statute covers that is already in place. You are just streamlining the ability to get it done,’’ Pearson said.
The biggest difference with the local ordinance is that by being registered with the city, golf-cart users in Satellite Beach can avoid the need for costly car-like insurance, he said.
“It’s very popular now. It’s what people want to drive so we can either make it easy for them and cut the costs, or we’re going to see a lot of non-compliance,” said Satellite Beach City Manager Courtney Barker.
Speaking on the issue before council was Cindy Berger of Satellite Beach, who said she was issued a moving violation the first day she had her golf cart. She later went through the various steps under the state rules to make the cart street legal, including taking pictures, purchasing insurance and trailering it to have it officially weighed. She said she sees an increasing amount of golf carts obviously not equipped to be street legal with windshields and turn signals, etc.
“I got a golf cart registered because I want to use it and not get tickets. Live on a street corner where I see illegal versions all the time. They are not following guidelines and I don’t see them being stopped or issued tickets to be made more responsible,” she said.
Pearson said the new age 16 requirement, and the ability for the city to revoke the registration, will make the new rules more enforceable.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a big enforcement issue. They are already out there, we’re already seeing them and have to deal with them anyway. Yes there will be more of them, but by having a permit we know who owns the golf cart and that also means less cars,” he said.