Practice Safety This Summer

By David Barnes

Port St. Joe Chief of Police

With spring and summer comes an increase in the number of citizens and visitors riding golf carts in our community. With this increase comes the chance of tragic accidents and avoidable problems. One of the main concerns is children operating golf carts on our city streets, and in our public parks. In order to operate a golf cart on any roadway within the city you must be a licensed driver 16 years of age or older, you must possess a city-issued permit and your golf cart must meet the guidelines for safe operation and equipment spelled out in our city ordinance.

We encourage parents and guardians not to let your children who are unlicensed operate golf carts, and for everyone to contact your police department to obtain a proper permit and inspection.

We also ask that you avoid parks that do not allow motorized vehicles and refer to the ordinance for a list of streets that you can not travel or cross with a golf cart (Avenue A, Long Avenue, Garrison Avenue, Highway 98 and Highway 71). Our main concern is safety, but our job is enforcement, so please don’t put in a position where we have to charge a parent with a crime for a lapse in judgment while allowing an unlicensed child to operate a golf cart.

We also would like your assistance in making sure that all children riding bicycles are properly equipped with helmets, and remember that bicycles are to be ridden with the flow of traffic as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. Bicyclists must obey the same traffic laws as the operators of other vehicles. And all children without a practical understanding of safety should be supervised. Bicycles should not be ridden where signs prohibit riding (Reid Avenue sidewalks).

In the last year we have seen a drastic change in the landscape of the Highway 98 corridor from First Street to Highway 71 and a redesign of the intersection of First Street and Highway 98. With the change came the addition of a sign making it illegal to make a right turn on red from westbound First Street to northbound Highway 98. This sign has been in place for approximately five months and we have recently added a flashing red light on top of the sign for increased visibility, due to the number of drivers still not paying attention to the signage. This sign was put in place for everyone’s safety and a violation could result in a civil penalty of $128. Please adhere to this and all traffic control devices and have a safe and wonderful summer.

I can be contacted for any questions at 258-2701.