Golf cart sales soar as US families find unlikely alternative to second cars

Americans drive golf carts around small towns, college campuses and residential neighborhoods. Photo: ALAMY

Golf carts are becoming the second car of choice for families in the United States. The market is expected to grow to more than $2 billion (£1.57 billion) in the next few years.

In retirement villages, housing estates, university campuses and small towns, it is becoming common to see people driving golf carts.

They became so popular that the Babcock Ranch in Florida became the first all-solar electric car in America. The electric city has even incorporated golf carts into its design, with some homes featuring a smaller second garage designed for a golf cart.

Home with an additional smaller garage ideal for a golf cart.

And about 10,000 golf carts roam the streets of Peachtree City, Georgia—almost one for every family.

The rules in Peachtree City are very liberal: anyone over 16 years old is allowed to drive. , even if he doesn't. have a driver's license and do not require insurance.

But laws governing cart use vary from city to city, and some places are rushing to introduce new laws to bring some order to the growing market.

p>

In many places, the speed limit for carts is 25 miles per hour. hour, and cannot be used on roads with a speed limit of more than 35 mph.

However, The Villages has an «active golf cart community» over 55 years of age 90 minutes north of Orlando, a minimum The driving age is only 14 years.

However, regulating lighting was not without problems. The local police chief reported 45 golf cart accidents in just three months during the summer, and 22 drivers were issued citations for traffic violations, including violating the local 20 mph speed limit and running a red light.

< p>New trolleys typically cost between $12,000 (£9,400) and $16,000 (£12,600). To be «street legal» they must also have headlights, a windshield, license plate space and lights.

Customization options are significant, from custom tires to expensive sound systems.

“Inexpensive to insure and maintain”

Rick Dolliver, 55, a lobster fisherman and restaurant owner in Ogunquit, Maine, is already driving his second Golf -kare.

“I bought the first one four or five years ago for $3,500 (£2,700) and the second for $5,000 (£3,900) to $6,000 (£4,700) and that was cheap,” he told the Telegraph.

» There is no gas station in the city, so connecting one is cheap and convenient. I can use it to go down to the bay with my son and our lobsters in the backseat.

“It's inexpensive to insure and maintain. But if the batteries die, it costs money.”

There are also disadvantages. Trolleys must be registered as slow moving vehicles and cannot exceed 25mph.

So even driving on a main road with a slightly higher speed limit can cause problems. “You have to deal with people driving right up your ass.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Foundation has some concerns about their growing popularity as a common vehicle.

“They traffic rules need to be followed because they're smaller, they can't go wherever they want,» the spokesman said.

«There have to be safety features and I wouldn't want to see them on the highway.

«I can see some areas, like local roads, where they could work,» he added.