STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

More

Share and Enjoy [?]

Goodland residents now safely sit in the driver’s seat of their golf carts.

The ability to do so is thanks to Goodland residents like Jim Fulcher and Connie Stegal-Fullmer, who put together a public petition and took it to county leaders asking that the electric-powered carts be allowed on the island’s regular roads.

Collier County commissioners looked at the issue and later agreed to let Goodland residents legally ride their golf carts around the small island community.

Among those pushing the issue was Fulcher, 64, who was the community’s first resident ticketed for driving his golf cart on the island.

Fulcher was the one responsible for putting together the 260-signature petition that got the ball rolling to ask commissioners for permission to use their carts on roads.

“We were glad to have it approved,” said Fulcher, in an interview.

Along with his wife Brenda, 53, the five-year resident now has taken advantage of being able to cruise on his cart without the fear of getting ticketed.

County officials said they determined that golf carts could be operated on roads subject to state law and that they have created additional restrictions to promote the health, safety and well-being of the residents of Goodland and others who may operate vehicles on those roads.

Collier isn’t the first local government to make exceptions for golf carts on roads, according to officials in the county attorney’s office.

There are restrictions in the Collier law, such as just allowing golf carts in designated areas of Goodland during daylight hours. There also are requirements on drivers.

Residents who want to take their carts out for a spin need to be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver’s license. In addition, the golf cart owner must get liability insurance and properly register the vehicle with the county.

Several signs should alert car drivers that they are sharing the road.

Stegal-Fullmer, 57, said that the new safety layers are just fine.

“All in all we were very happy with the law,” she said, adding that residents in Goodland have been driving their carts for 30 years. “We’re just very happy to be able to get back to normal life.”