Officials approve signs to promote safety with low-speed vehicles [PREMIUM]

A LOW-SPEED VEHICLE is pictured with required safety features and equipment. Road signs to improve safety with use of these vehicles in south Walton County were recently approved by the Walton County Board of County Commissioners. (Photo credit: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles)

By DOTTY NIST

Signs have been approved to promote safety with the use of low-speed vehicles (LSVs) on county roads where these vehicles are allowed in south Walton County.

State law requires local governments to allow LSVs to be driven on roads with a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or lower.

Mark Wendel of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) Crime Prevention Unit came before the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) on Nov. 24 at the Walton County Courthouse with a request for approval of the signs.

“This year has been a horrible year as far as the…low speed vehicles on County Road 30A and Scenic Gulf (Drive),” Wendel told the commissioners. “We’ve fielded numerous complaints on kids driving erratically, jumping off the carts, doing just crazy things,” he continued.

“One day I took…two deputies down to Seaside,” Wendel related, “and within one hour there, those two deputies pulled over 39 violations, all concentrating on LSVs.”

He reported that what the law enforcement personnel learned from those violations was that all the violators were saying the same thing, “I didn’t know, I thought this was just a golf cart.”

Wendel emphasized that there is a difference between a golf cart and an LSV, which is considered a vehicle and, as such, is subject to requirements that do not apply to golf carts.

By state law, in order to be operated on the road, a low-speed vehicle must be equipped with head lights, stop lights, signal lights, tail lights, reflex reflectors, parking brakes, rear view mirror, windshield, seat belts, and vehicle identification number. It must also be registered and insured. To drive an LSV, a valid driver’s license is required.

Golf carts are designed for use on a golf course or for other sporting or recreational purposes. They may not be legally driven on the road unless the road is designated for golf carts. No driver’s license is required to operate a golf cart, but by state law the driver must be at least 14 years of age. Unlike LSVs, golf carts do not display license tags.

Wendel reported having met with more than 20 companies doing LSV rentals. As a result of those meetings, he said, the WCSO had created a sticker showing rules for use of LSVs. He told the commissioners that all of the LSV rental companies had agreed to put the stickers on their vehicles.

Wendel said homeowners’ associations for developments for which LSVs are provided to residents had also requested stickers. He also reported reaching out to rental companies for homes that provide LSVs to renters with an offer to furnish them with stickers.

He explained that the stickers state that LSVs may be driven only on roads with a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less, that a valid driver’s license is required, and that all passengers (including small children) must be restrained.

Wendel reported that the WCSO had contacted the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to ask if DOT could put signs along U.S. 98 indicating that LSVs and golf carts are not allowed on the highway. Since DOT declined to do so, Wendel explained, the WCSO was proposing to place one set of signs on county roads near intersections with U.S. 98. He explained that these signs, measuring 24” by 24”, would show that LSVs were not allowed to turn right or left onto U.S. 98, although the LSVs would be able to cross the highway to get from one 35-mile-per-hour or less county road section to another.

Wendel said that, working with Chance Powell of Walton County Public Works Engineering, the WCSO had determined that approximately 20 of these signs would be needed for county roads intersecting with U.S. 98 from the east end to the west of CR-30A, and from the east end of Scenic Gulf Drive to the Okaloosa County line.

He displayed an example of a second set of proposed signs that he described as “informational.” These 36” x 48” signs show an LSV drawing and set forth rules for use of LSVs, including, in addition to those previously stated, “Drive sober, no open containers,” “No texting,” “No parking on streets/pathways,” and “No driving on utility (multi-use) path.”

Wendel said it had also been determined that 20 of these signs would be sufficient to place along county roads in the CR-30A and Scenic Gulf Drive area and that the signs would be put near stops so that drivers would have the opportunity to read the signs.

He noted that the biggest problems that the WCSO has had with LSVs have been with underage drivers and with child restraint devices not being used. There have also been problems with LSVs being driven on the multi-use paths, Wendel reported. Only bicycles and non-motorized vehicles are allowed on the paths.

Wendel’s request was for approval of the signs, which the WCSO proposed to fund and provide, and for county public works personnel to assist with sign installation.

Chance Powell was asked to comment. He confirmed his cooperation with Wendel and the WCSO on the issue and spoke in favor of using the signs as an interim measure to educate the public. Powell envisioned potential changes to requirements for LSVs and was hopeful of Walton County having an opportunity for a county registration requirement for LSVs in the future, at which time there could be changes with the signage situation.

Camp Creek Lake resident Bob Brooke urged the officials not to encourage use of LSVs in the CR-30A area, as increased use of the slow-moving vehicles would likely worsen roadway congestion. A number of the commissioners responded that they did not view the sign proposal as an encouragement of the vehicles. Instead, they saw it as more of an effort to educate the public and to manage use of the vehicles.

Brooke also voiced opposition to the proposed signs and spoke in favor of reducing rather than adding to signage on county roads.

South Walton County resident Barbara Morano said she applauded the effort to regulate LSVs in the CR-30A area. She questioned whether a stronger message could not be conveyed that golf carts cannot be driven on CR-30A.

Morano suggested enlisting the help of the Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) in providing stickers for LSVs associated with short-term rental accommodations.

South Walton County resident Leigh Moore spoke in support of this effort by the WCSO while encouraging the prioritization of education, enforcement/ticketing, and use of the stickers. She recommended holding off on the larger signs and considering them “as a last resort.”

Donna Johns spoke in favor of the signs but was of the opinion that they could be improved to be more attractive. She also pointed out that the main difference that people recognize between a golf cart and an LSV is the LSV’s license tag. Johns recommended that the picture of the LSV on the sign show the license tag in order for the vehicle to be recognized as an LSV.

Another public comment suggestion was for the stickers to contain a QR code that could be scanned in order for all the LSV rules to be extrapolated.

After a call for the question by District 5 Commissioner Tony Anderson, a vote was taken on Wendel’s sign proposal. The signs were approved unanimously.