Why one Michigan town is regulating its golf cart boom

For someone with zero interest in golf, Cathy Kochensparger sure loves her golf cart. She bought it as a family cruiser and drives it around town almost daily, but says that safety is paramount.

“You’ve got to be aware of your surroundings, people and other vehicles,” Kochensparger said.

St. Johns, Michigan, is aware its surroundings are changing. In the city of roughly 8,000 people, golf carts motor side-by-side with everyday traffic. St. Johns started regulating them last month — one of hundreds of communities across the country — putting restrictions on which roads the carts can be driven on.

St. Johns Mayor Scott Dzurka said the city has roughly 2,000 golf carts used primarily for transportation.

“Heaven forbid something happens on one of them. If that golf cart gets in a wreck, it’s pretty disastrous,” Dzurka said.

Safety is the primary reason why more than two dozen communities in Michigan alone have passed ordinances regulating golf carts on public roads.

Michael Fagan owns a booming golf cart business, but says golfers represent only 5% of his customer base. The big seller is lifestyle.

“And even year-round, ’cause we put snow plows on ’em, salt spreaders. You know, people are looking at me goofy when I say that, but we probably sell 15 to 20 snow plows a year,” Fagan said.

St. Johns resident Ed Thelen opposes golf carts mixing with cars because of the safety issues they pose.

“If a cart hits a car, the golf cart is just going to lose. There’s nothing there to protect the people in the golf cart,” Thelen said.

St. Johns just started inspecting golf carts, similar to cars, for working turn signals and horns. Drivers also have to be at least 18 years old and hold a valid drivers license.

By law now, Kochensparger can drive her cart only on streets where the speed limit is 25 miles an hour or lower. Her golf cart’s speed limit is 15 miles per hour.

When asked if she feels safe in one, Kochensparger said, “Oh definitely, definitely I do. I wouldn’t take my grandkids on it if I didn’t.”