A Georgia dad is facing a traffic citation after his 12-year-old daughter crashed a golf cart that he allowed her to drive. While no other golf carts or vehicles were involved in the crash, the accident did result in the girl and her passenger going to the hospital.
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12-Year-Old Crashes Golf Cart
I learned something new today. Apparently, in the state of Georgia you are legally allowed to operate a golf cart at 12 years old. That's correct, forget the driving permit and all that jazz, at 12 years old you are ready to hit the roads. Or, at least from a golf cart you are. So if this girl and her father were within the legal limits, why is he getting a citation?
Well, it turns out there are some caveats to the law. According to Georgia auto law, in order to operate a golf cart in Georgia, the following criteria must be met.
- The driver must be at least 12 years old and not exceed the top speeds allowed.
- Drivers under 16 years of age must be supervised by a licensed adult who is at least 18 years old.
- If the driver is 15 years old and has a permit, they can operate the golf cart alone.
Okay, the girl passes the first check point, but then we seem to hit a snafu at the second point. Since the girl is under 16 years old she needs "a licensed adult who is at least 18 years old" in the vehicle with her. WSB-TV shared that the young driver did have a passenger, but she was only 14 years old. Therefore, she was breaking the rules.
Seeing as the child is only 12 years old, the officers decided to charge her guardian with the traffic violation as he is responsible for her. That is how a father got ticketed for his 12-year-old crashing the golf cart.
Details On The Crash
The 12-year-old crashed the golf cart on Tuesday, January 14 after 5:15 pm. According to WSB-TV the young driver was trying to make a right turn into a private drive. That is when she lost control of her 2012 E-Z Go golf cart. Upon losing control, her "left front tire hit the curb." This caused her and her passenger to be thrown out of the vehicle.
No further details have been provided on the speed of the cart or the severity of the accident. However, deputies reported that both of the children were taken to a hospital by ambulance for treatment. I have a feeling between her injuries and her father's traffic citation, this young girl will not be driving golf carts again any time soon.
