When and where can you drive? In South Carolina, golf carts can only be driven during the day. During these hours, you can drive on highways and back streets. There is also a limit to how far your golf cart can drive, which is four miles from the address listed on the golf cart registration. According to an American Surgeon report, 75% of injuries caused by golf cart accidents required hospitalization.
What my neighbor and many others don't realize is that there are specific laws related to golf carts in South Carolina. Once the permit and the golf cart registration document have been issued, you must place the permit sticker on the golf cart and carry the registration document on the golf cart at all times. Whether you're thinking of buying a golf cart for personal use, renting a golf cart for your next family vacation, or using a golf cart for business purposes, you must learn to comply with state and local laws. While golf carts cannot travel at high speeds, alcohol laws are the same as those applicable to cars and trucks.
As I drive through my neighborhood, I notice that more and more neighbors and their children are driving golf carts. If you've spent any time in South Carolina, whether you live near a golf course, visited the barrier islands, or attended a college football game, you've probably noticed golf carts driving down the road. Insurance is an important part of the monthly costs of owning a golf cart, so you might want to reconsider buying a cart if insurance is an expense you don't want to pay. Bald Head Island is a North Carolina Court of Appeals case in which a six-year-old boy died after falling from a rented golf cart driven by his parents while vacationing in the town of Bald Head Island.
In addition, you can only drive your golf cart within four miles of the address listed on your registration certificate. To avoid that fine, golf cart owners would have to install Type 1 or Type 2 seat belts that conform to 49 C. Today, golf carts don't need the lifesaving technologies expected from other vehicles. While children are sometimes seen driving golf carts, South Carolina law requires that the operator of a golf cart be at least sixteen years old and have a valid driver's license.
If HB 4147 is approved, the owner's failure to equip a golf cart with seat belts could be a reason for negligence per se in the event of suffering an injury like Biggers'. To drive a golf cart in South Carolina, you must be 16 years of age or older and have a valid driver's license.
