Peachtree City Police recently shared a video of golf cart DUI traffic stop. In the scene, a law enforcement officer was forced to pull a Taser on a DUI suspect who allegedly just left a nearby bar. Surprisingly, Peachtree City law enforcement is all too familiar with drunk golf car drivers. "We have over 10,000 registered golf carts in Peachtree City," said a local Police Lieutenant, "…it is a public safety problem." According to local law enforcement, golf carts are considered a "mode of transportation" within 100 miles of a cart path, making it unlawful to operate them under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
According to the Lieutenant, golf cart DUIs aren't taken very seriously by some Peachtree residents. "Unfortunately, it's public perception to some that it's not a big deal to drive intoxicated in a golf cart," he said, "but we feel it's a little more aggravating because we have intermingling of pedestrians and bicyclists and skateboarders on our cart paths." In fact, drunk drivers operating golf carts are responsible for a number of past injuries and accidents. Last year, golf carts were involved in almost 15% of drunk driving cases in Peachtree City.
"We've had serious injuries," said the Lieutenant, "…we've had deaths on our car path system in the past, so we just want people to understand those are vehicles," he continued. In addition to harming others, intoxicated golf cart operators can easily injury themselves. Police say that standard golf carts are not built to protect vehicle occupants during a crash, making them susceptible to serious accidents. Police hope that recent arrests will help the public understand the risks involved in driving drunk – no matter what type of vehicle they're operating. Visit our website to learn more about DUIs and DUI defense in the greater Atlanta area.