As a bedroom community to metro Columbus, the city of Delaware tends to be fairly conservative when it comes to adopting new ideas or trends. (The city council once called my neighborhood the “carpetbaggers” because we moved here from other Columbus suburbs, and were “trying to change their city”.)
So it was a surprise when I read in the THIS WEEK newspaper that Delaware was actually considering allowing golf carts on city streets as a means for residents to save gas. Of course, they’re going to study some of the other 40 municipalities in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana that allow the carts, before they can make a decision. Golf carts are already allowed in Circleville, Put-in-Bay and Kelley’s Island in Ohio. In recent TV news, the Fairfield County sheriff’s office has added carts to their squad cars.
Per the THIS WEEK article, Ohio law classifies golf carts as low-speed vehicles. (DUH!) That means they can’t be driven on streets with speed limits in excess of 35 mph.
Seriously, is there anyone out there that would WANT TO drive a golf court on Rt 23 next to a semi truck going 55 mph! Of course, size-wise it wouldn’t be much different than the tiny Smart Car.
However, if you plan to buy a cart, you’ll need to make it street legal. You’ll have to add headlights, 2 license plates, tail lights, one brake light, turn signals, a rearview mirror, brakes, a windshield and a horn. Oh, and you must have a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance.
The police chief declined judgement on this concept until he has a chance to review other communities. If his findings mimic his review of whether my neighborhood (the carpetbaggers) could have a couple Stop signs, don’t put a down payment on your new cart just yet.
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Elaine Reese
614-825-8860Real Living HER
2 responses so far ↓
Jeremiah Arn // September 2, 2008 at 10:56 am
For some reason, I just can’t stop chuckling at this post - from the small-town politics, to the pros/cons of a reputation as a golf-cart mecca, to the idea of seeing golf carts dodging monster trucks in rural Ohio….
Thanks for the laugh!
Elaine Reese // September 2, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Your welcome on the ‘laugh’. We’ll see how this plays out.
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