When you rent a golf cart during a vacation, you'll likely find yourself spending a lot of time cruising the area's roads. While you might also travel on paved and gravel paths, it's common to find that the best way of getting around is on the roads. If you've never driven a golf cart in the past, it's important for you to do so safely — particularly when you'll be sharing the roads with larger vehicles. You can ask your golf cart rental agent for some safe driving tips when you pick up your golf cart, but here are some general points that you should keep in mind.
Watch For Dedicated Lanes
If you're visiting a tourist hotspot in which hundreds of people use golf carts as a method of transportation, you might see dedicated golf cart lanes marked on the road. The presence of these lanes is ideal, as they'll give you a straightforward route to follow. If lanes are present, you'll want to keep your golf cart within them rather than stray out onto the main part of the road. While there might not be dedicated lanes on every street in the area, you should always watch for them when you turn onto new streets and use them when you can.
Secure Loose Items
It's easy to feel eager to hop on your golf cart with your family and begin to drive around, but it's important to take a moment to secure any loose items. Loose items can fall out of the golf cart during turns or simply due to bumps in the road. You don't want a child's cellphone to slide off the seat and fall to the ground, nor do you want a purse or suitcase to suffer the same fate. Not only would your items be damaged, but large items that fall onto the road could disrupt traffic. Golf carts commonly have racks and baskets that you can use to hold items. Your rental company may have bungee cords available to help you secure larger items such as suitcases.
Don't Use It At Night
While some golf carts may be equipped with headlights and taillights, you'll usually find that this isn't the case. As such, you shouldn't use your rented golf cart after dark. Even if you're able to see motorists around you, they may have trouble seeing you when your method of transportation isn't properly illuminated. It's safer to park your golf cart prior to dusk and plan to use it again in the morning. Some golf cart rental companies have policies that prevent their customers from using golf carts at night for safety reasons.
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