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Golf Cart Injuries
November 5, 2008 |
Taking the golf cart out for a spin is a fun activity for many kids and teenagers.
But driving around the neighborhood could be more dangerous than parents realize.
“We certainly see bicycle and four wheeler injuries and certainly if you’ve got
kids who are riding on the road on golf carts that increases the risk that those
kids will be coming in,” says Dr. Stan Wiggins who is a pediatrician with Lee Memorial
Health System.
The American Journal of Preventative Medicine reports the number of golf cart-related
injures treated in hospital emergency rooms rose more than 130% between 1990 and
2006. Most of the reported injuries happened when someone was hit by or fell off
of a moving golf cart. “At 25 miles an hour you can definitely get fractures. A
lot of times kids will try to pile onto a golf cart - you’ll have kids hanging off
of it. Most kids aren’t wearing helmets when they’re on a golf cart so right there you’ve got head injuries that can occur that can be pretty significant depending
on how hard you hit.”
Dr. Wiggins advises parents to rethink letting their kids drive or ride in a golf
cart that is unsupervised. “They really need to tell their kids not to be alone
riding on golf carts and stuff unsupervised. They really need parental supervision
and adult supervision.”
Statistics show about 15% of golf cart-related injuries happened on a street. Those
injuries were most likely to result in a concussion and hospitalization. Driving
a golf cart after dark or on a roadway also increases the risk for serious injury. |
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