Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Why Are Golf Carts A Potential Liability On Campus?

  • By Troy Engel
  • 07/01/18

Golf carts are designed specifically for golf courses, and while they do a great job in their element, they are not street legal. Therefore, they can’t be driven on community streets. That means that many larger campuses and districts have their golf carts driving down streets illegally. This leaves the only option of driving on sidewalks where they are a liability to distracted students who are rushing from class to class, texting their friends, or blaring the music in their headphones.

Students belong on sidewalks and motor vehicles belong on streets. With hundreds to thousands of distracted students, golf carts whizzing down the sidewalk in a rush to get to their next job can create a perfect storm for potential accidents and liabilities.

Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs) are street legal, motorized vehicles that are limited to 25 mph and have a maximum gross vehicle weight of 3,000 pounds. Being street legal means they have seat belts, automotive grade windshields, windshield wipers, turn signals, headlights, back-up cameras, rear view mirrors, side view mirrors, SAE test-certified roofs, all-forward facing seats, etc. A majority of LSVs are also 100-percent electric, making them more environmentally friendly and sustainable for the district fleet budget.

LSVs can also do everything a golf cart can do and much more. Utility fleets have cargo capacities approaching 1,500 pounds, and a wide variety of customizable accessories to fit your maintenance and repair needs. Passenger versions can carry two to six people, giving you the ability to shuttle people around campus.

As fleet managers are evaluating their fleet composition and making regular vehicle replacement purchases, think safety first and consider an all-electric LSV option.

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management July/August 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

Troy Engel is the marketing specialist Polaris Industries – GEM. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.