WELLINGTON, Fla. — Elizabeth Zapata frequently sees kids driving golf carts in Wellington.
"They don't know how to stop," she said. "They just don't know how to respect the stop signs. They keep on going."
A new law that takes effect in October requires minors to have at least a learner's permit in order to drive a golf cart in Florida.
State
Here are the new laws beginning Oct. 1 in Florida
Wellington student Santiago Castano is a long way from driving himself but thinks it's a good idea.
"I see all these crosswalks and the signs of walking and whenever I walk by I see all these guys just going around on the golf cart," he said. "They don't even stop at the red light."
Golf carts are a way Wellington residents avoid school traffic. Village leaders passed their own ordinance to increase safety regulations for golf cart usage. Wellington Vice Mayor Michael Napoleone said he’s happy to see the state getting on board.
"I think it was smart of the state to realize that just the age alone does not qualify you to drive a golf cart because you're driving a vehicle on the road and you should have some sort of training minimal level of training before you're allowed to do that,” he said.
If you don’t abide by the new state law, the penalty is a noncriminal traffic infraction with a fine of up to $108.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said they’re going to focus on educating the public first and ultimately, it will come down to everyone doing their part.
“A lot of it still comes down to parental responsibility…until they’re mature enough, and have a license to drive one,” Napoleone added.
