Shelby County Sheriff's Office Sends Message to Parents and Teens About Golf Cart Safety

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) – A message from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office about golf cart safety.

This post follows an accident in Chelsea on Tuesday in which five teenagers were injured when their golf cart overturned. Thankfully, everyone is okay and no one has life-threatening injuries. However, several of them were taken to hospital with serious road scrapes.

Shelby County deputies told WBRC this is a reminder that parental supervision and following traffic laws are key to keeping the community safe.

While low-speed vehicles or golf carts are fun to drive, MPs say there are rules in place that govern their safety on public roads, even in neighbourhoods.

Deputy Chief Clay Hammac said, “If you don’t feel comfortable driving that vehicle, regardless of its size or style, on a major roadway like I-65 or Highway 280, I certainly wouldn’t drive it on a local public roadway, whether it’s a small neighborhood or not.”

MPs said that while there is no age requirement to drive golf buggies, parents should think twice before allowing young drivers to use them unsupervised.

“Parents, please make sure you use common sense before giving your child or a minor driver the opportunity to operate such a vehicle. We do not want them operating on public roads. We want to make sure that if they are operating these vehicles on private property, they are doing so safely and responsibly,” said Hammac.

In Shelby County, local governments may enforce rules and regulations on low-speed vehicles.

Some parents told WBRC they knew the crash could have been worse, but they were glad the teens were okay.

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