Legalize Golf Carts by Lowering Speed Limits

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Editor,

Laguna Beach is an ideally suited community for non-polluting electric vehicles like electric golf carts. The vehicle code’s 25 MPH (or less) speed zone use restriction placed on “street legal” golf carts and some of the city’s 30 MPH speed zones severely restrict their legal use here.

To get downtown or across town from most residential neighborhoods in Laguna using a “street legal” golf cart requires breaking the law by either driving in or through a 30 MPH speed zone (Hillcrest, Cliff Drive, Glenneyre etc.).

 

You can’t legally use a golf cart to get to our beaches, banks, downtown shops, super markets, restaurants and cafes from most residential neighborhoods. In effect, “you can’t get there from here” in a golf cart and this doesn’t make any sense in a town like ours. Why doesn’t the city make “street legal” golf carts legal? It’s simple to do.

 

Just lower speed limits to 25 MPH from 30 MPH. Create some well defined “corridors” where “street legal” golf carts can be legally and safely driven across our town and into downtown using public roadways. It is hard to understand why so many streets passing through mixed residential and commercial areas of our town are posted at 30 MPH anyway. It encourages motorists to go 35 MPH and more.

 

Slow down the traffic. Make our “alternate route” streets safer for bicyclists and walkers, and legalize the use of “street legal” golf carts in Laguna Beach.

 

Don Knapp, Laguna Beach

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Mr. Knapp, the information you have is slightly wrong. The vehicle code allows for low speed vehicles or in your words street legal golf carts to be operated on roadways with a posted speed limit of 35 MPH or less. This allows for low speed vehicles to be operated in most areas of Laguna Beach and defiantly in the downtown area. The vehicle code also allows for low speed vehicles to cross roadways with a higher posted speed limit as long as the crossing roadway has a speed limit of 35 MPH or less.

    Hope this information helps to clear this up.

    CVC 21260(a)

  2. What are the requirements for registering a street cart? Would love to have this option – between walking, which we prefer – and driving. Thanks!!!

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