Why Are Golf Carts A Potential Liability On Campus?

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

  • Howard Community College President Joins National Research Council

    Howard Community College President Daria J. Willis was recently appointed to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commission on Research and Community College Trends and Issues, according to a news release.

  • StarRez Releases 2025 State of Student Housing Report

    Student housing software solutions provider StarRez recently released its second State of the Student Housing Industry Report, according to a news release. The report is based on the results of survey data from more than 400 higher education institutions around the world, both StarRez clients and not.

  • ClassVR headsets

    Avantis Education Revamps Hardware for ClassVR Solution

    Avantis Education recently announced the launch of two new headsets for its flagship educational VR/AR solution, ClassVR. According to a news release, the Xcelerate and Xplorer headsets expand the company’s offerings into higher education while continuing to meet the evolving needs of K–12 users.

  • Minnesota District Partners with Kraus-Anderson on Four Construction Projects

    Stillwater Area Schools in Lake Elmo, Minn., recently announced a partnership with Kraus-Anderson for construction projects at four schools in the district, according to a news release. The projects’ funding comes from a $175-million referendum passed in November 2023.

Digital Edition