Watch out for slow moving vehicles!
Blackshear residents are encouraged to be on the lookout for golf carts and other nontraditional or low-speed vehicles on local roadways.
Golf carts are classified as low-speed vehicles and may only operate where speed limits are posted as 35 miles per hour or less. According to Blackshear’s municipal code, Low-speed vehicles may also cross state roads “only at crossings or intersections designated for that purpose by the department of transportation.”
Blackshear Police Chief Chris Wright says they have issued a few warnings so far this year, “but if they are caught driving on a state route, the Georgia State Patrol has been giving out tickets.”
All operators must be licensed drivers age 16 and up, and obey the typical rules of the road like any other vehicle. In addition, all rules of the road apply to drivers encountering low-speed vehicles in the city.
With the majority of lowspeed vehicles traveling about 20 miles per hour it is easy to get stuck behind one, but they have as much right to the road and to the lane they occupy as a full-sized vehicle, according to Wright. If a driver is stuck behind a golf cart, they do not have permission to pass on a double yellow line to go around it. Wright advises patience and getting to your destination safely.
“We have given several warnings on side by sides,” says Wright. “I don’t know any city that has tried to allow side by sides yet.”
Wright notes they can be operated in the county, but are prohibited within the city limits of Blackshear.
Residents with golf carts can go through a brief and relatively cheap process to register their vehicle for use on city roads.
Wright says residents must bring the golf cart or similar vehicle to the police station where it can be inspected to ensure it meets the required criteria for operation on city roads. Some of that criteria includes: headlights, taillights, brake lights, a rear view mirror and seat belts. A $15 fee pays for a nontransferable three digit decal to register the vehicle.
Additionally, per the Blackshear municipal code , “each person owning or operating a motorized cart that is operated within the City of Blackshear is responsible and liable for his or her own actions or failure to act. Liability insurance coverage varies and each person operating a motorized cart shall provide and verify his or her insurance coverage.”
In terms of penalties there is a graduated structure. A fine for the first violation can range between $25 and not more than $49. For the second offense, the fine is $50. If a third offense is committed within one year of conviction of a second offense, the minimum fine is $100 and the owner's registration is revoked. The registered owner or family member also cannot register a motorized cart for use in the city for a period of two years following a third conviction. If your registration gets revoked, the re-registration fee is $200.
The state law governing golf carts, side by sides and other similar vehicles is part of Georgia House Bill 121, Part II, Section 2-1, which amended Article 1 of Chapter 7 of Title 52 of the Official Code of Georgia.
Wright explains that due to a legal principle called preemption, the city’s statutes cannot be less restrictive than a state law.
“Even if the city wanted to allow side by sides, it is stopped by preemption,” Wright says.
