Wednesday, August 21, 2002

PTC Council: OK for 15-year-olds to drive carts alone; grandparents can supervise young drivers

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Responding to pleas from parents and teens, the Peachtree City Council has agreed to allow 15-year-olds to drive golf carts without parental supervision.

But to qualify for the privilege, the 15-year-old drivers must have a Georgia learner's permit driving license. And council ruled such drivers can only have one passenger who must be at least 15 years old, except when they are riding with a parent, grandparent or legal guardian.

Lauren Davis, a local teen who sparked the issue with a letter earlier this year, took up the cause again with council at its Thursday night meeting.

"When you have your permit, the state of Georgia trusts you in your automobile and the golf cart has less risks than an automobile," she said.

At first, councilmen Dan Tennant and Steve Rapson were in favor of allowing two or three passengers, but other council members balked, particularly Murray Weed who said three or more teens can "suffer from group think."

"But three 35-year-olds can be just as bad," Weed said.

Council has also approved a measure to allow grandparents to supervise young drivers between 12 and 15 years old.

Several parents urged council to reduce the unsupervised golf cart driving age from 16 to 15 so children can get more driving experience before driving a full-fledged automobile on their own after turning 16.

A separate measure to ban the use of gasoline-powered golf carts failed. Those carts must be inspected annually, with owners required to provide a certificate of that examination to the city on a yearly basis.

City Councilwoman Annie McMenamin said gas-powered golf carts are often the only option for seniors whose carts are stored in units that don't have electrical outlets.

Peachtree City is the largest golf cart community in the world with nearly 10,000 golf carts, noted police chief James Murray. Only 2 percent of the city's carts are gas-powered, Murray noted.