What Are the Dangers of Golf Carts?
Golf carts have become incredibly popular, fueling a $200 million annual industry. Their use has branched out beyond golf courses into businesses, airports, schools, gated communities and even as alternative road vehicles. Golf carts, however, were never designed for safety and that increased use has generated a skyrocketing number of injuries.
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Significance
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Golf carts are popular, but potentially dangerous. A 17-year study conducted by the Research Institute at the Nationwide Children's Hospital logged 148,000 golf cart-related injuries. The study counted 5,770 cases in 1990, with that number increasing by 132 percent to over 13,400 accidents in 2006. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an average of five deaths annually in golf cart-related accidents.
Types of Injuries
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While any body part is susceptible when riding in a golf cart, foot and leg injuries are most common among adults. Children are involved in 30 percent of golf-cart accidents, with head and neck injuries being most common in that age group.
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Design-Related Injuries
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With lightweight frames carried on small tires, golf carts can be precariously unstable. They tip over easily and lack standard automobile safety features.
Driver-Related Injuries
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Driver error causes most golf cart-related fatalities, usually resulting from turning sharply and throwing people from the cart. Driving too fast and over uneven terrain exacerbates the cart's inherent dangers.
Passenger-Related Injuries
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Passengers too often ride with limbs hanging outside the cart. Feet, particularly those wearing golf spikes, catch on the ground and twist knees and ankles. Statistically, falling or jumping from golf carts is the most common accident, accounting for 38 percent of all injuries.
Prevention
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Read and abide by all safety instructions posted in golf carts. Reduce your speed when driving. Drive defensively. Most importantly, do not treat golf carts like toys. Be smart.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Kelowna09
