Electric Cart Safety Facts

Electric cart injury rates have risen as the carts are more frequently driven on public roads. Electric carts aren't subjected to the same federal safety regulations as automobiles, and state laws on electric cart operation vary widely.

Rise in Injuries

• In July 2008, the American Journal of Preventative Medicine reported that between 1990 and 2006, electric cart injury rates rose 130 percent and electric carts accounted for approximately 150,000 injuries during that period. Injuries sustained on public roads more frequently required hospitalization than cart injuries suffered on a golf course.

Passenger Ejection

• Passenger ejections accounted for 38.3 percent of electric cart accident injuries in 2006. Technology Associates found that the handhold bars on the sides of electric cart seats turn into dangerously effective fulcrums during an accident, helping to catapult passengers out of carts.

Lack of Safety Equipment

• The American National Standards Institute doesn't require electric cart manufacturers to equip vehicles with seat belts. There are also no federal regulations requiring manufacturers to install safety lights, mirrors or windshield on their vehicles.