Police officers at one beach town enforcing golf cart rules more strictly after collisions

OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. (WECT) - Visit just about any beach town around here and you’ll notice golf carts as a popular mode of transportation. It’s an issue many beach towns have noticed over the years: the growing number of golf carts on the roads.

Now, one coastal community is cracking down on golf cart drivers to ensure safety for everyone after several accidents over the last few days.

Ocean Isle Beach Police Department has seen an uptick in calls since the summer months began, most of them complaints about people driving recklessly in golf carts. We’re told that they have received numerous calls daily about careless and reckless behavior by golf cart drivers, including people with no seatbelts and underage drivers.

The department posted two videos on social media of recent accidents to warn people to be safe. We’re told that summer is typically when most of the issues arise, as a lot of people on the island are not from the area and are vacationing. Some may be renting golf carts that they don’t know how to properly operate. That has led to town officials saying enough is enough.

“With increased use of the golf carts, we’ve had to crackdown on underage drivers and trying to make sure people wear seatbelts. Because obviously, from the videos that you saw, there are some irresponsible drivers out there occasionally. We’re just trying to keep people safe. We don’t want them to get hurt,” said Mayor Debbie Smith.

Officials say that one of the instances looked accidental, but the other seemed intentional, with underage boys trying to flip the cart.

Officials said that no injuries were reported in either of the accidents, but Mayor Smith wants neighbors and visitors to know what officers are looking for on the roads.

“We’re enforcing that you have to have a driver’s license to drive, which is law. We’re enforcing seatbelts and car seats for babies. If you’re required to have a car seat in the car, then you’re required to have car seat with a golf cart,” said Smith.

Officials said that another common complaint is golf carts driving the wrong way on one-way streets.

Remember, any rules that apply when you’re behind the wheel of a car are the same for a golf cart.

To view the two videos, click the links below:

Ocean Isle Beach Police Department (1)

Ocean Isle Beach Police Department (2)

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