Golf carts, gators, ATVs, scooters and tractors aren't welcome on this town's streets

Police are reminding Wake Forest residents that it's illegal to drive around on town streets in a golf cart.

Wake Forest prohibits anyone from driving on town streets and greenways in "all-terrain vehicles," including "four-wheelers, gators, scooters, mowers, tractors, golf carts, etc." Police are particularly concerned about teenagers on golf carts, which they say lack the safety features of cars and are dangerous when they share streets with larger vehicles.

“Our number one concern is the health and safety of our residents,” police chief Jeff Leonard said in a statement. “My hope is that the young people in our community, and their parents and guardians, will be mindful of the potential safety risks and not operate golf carts on our public streets. "

Police have received just one complaint about someone driving a golf cart on the street recently, said town spokesman Bill Crabtree. But summer is when people are tempted to take their carts out for a spin, Crabtree said.

"We typically see an increase once school lets out, so we are trying to be proactive," he said.

Some towns, including Benson, Pittsboro and Holly Springs, allow people to drive golf carts on town streets, under certain conditions. In Holly Springs, only licensed drivers 18 and older can drive carts on streets with speed limits no higher than 25 mph. The carts must be registered and inspected annually by the police department and must be equipped with headlights, taillights, reflectors, seat belts, turn signals and a rear view mirror.

The Wake Forest town council considered allowing golf carts on town streets two years ago, after some residents of the Traditions at Wake Forest subdivision asked it to. The police department argued against lifting the ban, and a short time later five teenagers were thrown from a golf cart after the driver lost control while going down a hill on Sparhawk Road. The council kept the ban in place.

The town says violators are subject to "criminal prosecution," but Crabtree said the specific charges would be up to the county district attorney's office.

This story was originally published June 20, 2018 at 10:20 PM with the headline "Golf carts, gators, ATVs, scooters and tractors aren't welcome on this town's streets."