carts pass each other in the 100 block of West State Street by The Cadillac live music venue in downtown Paxton on the morning of Monday, July 29. Will Brumleve/Ford County Chronicle
PAXTON — With high gas prices, residents are seeking cheaper modes of transportation, and golf carts have become popular vehicles for getting around in local neighborhoods.
Golf cart usage has substantially increased in Paxton since 2009, when the city council enacted an ordinance regulating the use of golf carts, utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) and other neighGolf borhood vehicles — defined as electronically or gas-powered four-wheeled motor vehicles that can go 20-25 mph — as a form of transportation on city streets.
As of this month, there were 270 neighborhood vehicle permits registered with the Paxton Police Department, although Police Chief Coy Cornett noted that the number may include permits for vehicles that have since been sold or are no longer in use.
Meanwhile, complaints have been made recently on social media about golf carts failing to comply with the rules for operating on city roadways. In a local Facebook group, Paxton resident Tracy Messer complained about an encounter in which a golf cart did not follow the rules of the road, which drew comments from others about times when they, too, had seen dangerous driving of golf carts. One reported seeing a man with what looked to be a toddler in his left arm while driving down the street, while another said they had seen an infant in the lap of someone in the front seat of another golf cart. Others told of incidents involving underage golf cart drivers and golf cart drivers not stopping at stop signs.
Complaints on social media have not translated into golf-cart-related complaints being made to local police, however. According to Cornett, only two complaints about golf carts have been called in since 2017 — regarding the improper use of a golf cart on a highway and reckless driving.
Nor has golf cart use — or misuse — led to any accidents, as “zero accidents have been reported” in that time frame, Cornett said.
Paxton police have made 10 traffic stops on golf carts since 2017, leading to nine verbal warnings and one citation for improper use on a highway, Cornett said.
The city’s ordinance regulating neighborhood vehicles, UTVs and golf carts can be found under Chapter 80 of the city’s code of ordinances.
Under the ordinance, ay person who operates a neighborhood vehicle, golf cart or UTV must be at least 18 years old and possess a valid driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle issued by Illinois or any other state. All passengers must be at least age 7, and the maximum occupancy is one person per bucket seat, or two people per bench seat. Each vehicle must have its headlights and tail lamps lighted at all times when operated on city roadways, and all traffic signs and signals and all other traffic rules and regulations must be observed.
Permits are available from the police department via an application. There is an annual fee of $25 per permit. When an application is received, a police officer will come to the golf cart owner’s home to inspect the vehicle. Requirements for it to be “street-ready” include headlights, turn signals, a horn and a “slow-moving vehicle” sign attached to its rear.