Golf cart owners beware

Smart cars have all the latest technologies and handle topes without any concern, as they have 15“ wheels.  You may use the automatic shifting feature, or shift it yourself using the touchtronic system. They are amazingly survivable in crashes and surprisingly comfortable and speedy on long highway trips.  We drove ours from Chapala to North Carolina, and back. Yes, they can keep up with the high speed Interstate & Cuota traffic.  Beep beep..................>>>>>>>>> Mercedes/Smart dealership is in Guadalajara.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iKGfo1wmOM

That's a 2005/6, same as I own. Notice that the steel cabin remains intact. Now someone please post videos of golf carts and quads in crash tests.

Yep, good video and comparison, I was surprised and impressed with the Smart. However. . .

While the car goes from 70 mph to zero, your body is still going 70 mph inside the car until it crashes into the seatbelt and the airbag. Face first, usually, with the airbag. Even after all that, your heart and lungs are still going 70 mph until they crash against the inside of your chest wall. You are dead within 7 seconds.

Golf carts and quads have no restraints so the passengers get ejected usually airborne head first crashing into a pole, curb, barrier, tree, pavement or whatever. Thing about this is the vehicle need only be going half the speed of the crash above.

Drive friendly.

No one is going to hit a wall at 70 MPH around here! The point of the tests is to show that the Smart is a very safe vehicle.

David wrote:My Smart cost $12K new.  Love it!

The Nissan March is even less expensive!

David, I said I was impressed! YOU may not hit a brick wall but a brick wall of a truck might hit you. Same effect.

Very few crashes are head on collisions similar to hitting a brick wall at 70 mph. Most fatal collisions are side impacts when something hits you or your passenger in the side door area. Least amount of protection as you are only a few inches from the impact zone.

True and little protection available in the way of side-impact airbags.

Still a lot more protection than a golf cart, ATV or motorcycle.

That smart car is safer than all the vehicles you and I drove for 25 years or more.........jaja. My '63 corvette didn't even come with lap belts.

I remember when steering wheels had that big chrome cap nut aimed at your heart. Seat belts? No. The car‘s frames were still made of wood, and my first car, a 1931 Plymouth sedan, had wooden wheel spokes.

I even had the "suicide knob" on the steering wheel of one of the old classics I owned. I have never bought a car based on safety features. Given the option I turn the airbags off. I've seen too many blow into peoples faces in minor fender benders.....

I never had a suicide knob, but I did have a 1949 Citroen with suicide doors.

I had a 1949 Ford with bad brakes and a hole in the floor right near the accelerator. When almost at a stop, if need be, I could extend my foot down and drag it on the road. 3 Speed on the column and I paid $75 US for it. When I got 3 friends we could each chip in a quarter and get a buck's worth of gas and cruise most all day as gas was 17.9/gal.

Those gasoline prices were great! We could smoke and drive for a dollar!

We used to do that too!

Well I guess the Golf Cart issues have gone to hell

Yep, keep your unlicenced golf carts off all public streets and your licensed ones on the back roads only (for now). Not much has changed other than enforcement.

After driving thru little Guadalajara this morning I am very glad I did not have to worry about golf carts. Motos big and small were bad enough. It was worse than LA out there today.

One of my neighbors had her unlicensed cart confiscated for driving wrong way on city Street in Ajijic

SunshineyDay wrote:After driving thru little Guadalajara this morning I am very glad I did not have to worry about golf carts. Motos big and small were bad enough. It was worse than LA out there today.

And this is only the beginning. I can't wait to see the holidays. . .

artsnob wrote:One of my neighbors had her unlicensed cart confiscated for driving wrong way on city Street in Ajijic

You mean the police thought she should be subject to the same rules as other vehicles? That she was not some special snowflake entitled and immune from laws governing lesser beings? How horrible for her to be treated like a lawbreaker. Oh, wait.... Never mind.

SunshineyDay wrote:After driving thru little Guadalajara this morning I am very glad I did not have to worry about golf carts. Motos big and small were bad enough. It was worse than LA out there today.

Does "little Guadalajara" refer to a certain area of lakeside or are you just making fun of the big city?

I have to say I do not have any problem with golf carts on the back streets. I have never seen one driven on the carretera or on the bicycle path. I do not think they are a large problem and do think there are greater issues which need to be addressed by the traffic cops.

I think the point is that they are illegal whether they bother anyone or not. The transitos have indicated they will turn a blind eye to those that are licensed and strictly driven on the side streets even though I suspect that is illegal too. The area is getting busier and best to nip it in the bud.......IMO.