TAMPA, Fla. — Pretty soon, children under 18 will be required to have a driver's license or learner's permit to get behind the wheel of a golf cart in Florida.
More than 6,500 children are injured in golf cart accidents annually in this country, and about half are younger than 12.
Currently, state law allows children over the age of 14 to drive with minimal supervision.
"I would really appreciate it if they brought it up to the age where they're completely legal to drive a golf cart as well as a car," said Eric Schultz, who lives on Davis Island and drives a golf car.
Brian Faison with the Florida Safety Council echoed Schultz's sentiments.
"I see a lot of 14-year-olds operating golf carts with three or four of their friends in those golf carts, and I got to tell you, I can't think of a more dangerous situation than that," said Faison.
Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg said this year alone, they've had to treat 16 children for serious golf cart injuries, and about 75% of them sustained head injuries.
"We think of golf carts as fun and, you know, relatively safe, but realistically, they can be very dangerous, and it's something that we need to think about, especially with underage, inexperienced drivers," said Dr. Meghan Martin with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
The new law will go into effect on Oct. 1.
