While they have long been common place in many Florida communities such as Sun City, Celebration and The Villages, motorists in Illinois have not had to worry about sharing the roads with golf carts — until recently.

Since higher fuel costs rocked the nation a little more than a year ago, several communities in the area — including Hoopeston, Rossville and Westville — have passed ordinances to allow golf carts on public streets.

Originally the thinking was to try to allow residents an additional choice from jumping in their cars for short trips around small towns to allow them to use a golf cart to perform short errands around town.

This was the idea Richard Queen of Rossville had when he voted for such an ordinance as a village trustee in Rossville.

“My thought was this would be something people might use for little trips around town and a person could save on gas,” explained Queen. “It was brought before the board and I voted for it.”

Little did Queen realize that he would eventually have a cart of his own.

“I saw some people around town using theirs and I thought it looked like fun,” said Queen. “Then my wife surprised me with one for my birthday.”

Queen said he and his wife like to just get out and ride around town.

“A lot of times my wife will drive the cart up to the school to pick up our granddaughter after school,” Queen added. “The kids love it.”

Tia Petersen and her family of Rossville already had a golf cart before the village allowed them on the streets.

“We have show cattle,” said Petersen. “We always take our golf cart to the cattle shows to ride around in and to haul gear for showing our cattle.”

Petersen enjoys the fact that she can now drive her golf cart around town.

“We use ours for pleasure rides around town in the summer and to drive to parades in town,” Petersen added.

Petersen said she sees lots of families with children out riding their golf carts.

“It is nice to see something that families can do together,” Petersen said.

Petersen and her husband are both involved in civic groups and have used their golf cart to transport people for the tractor pull and the recent Rossville sesquicentennial celebration.

Both Queen and Petersen would like to see changes to the Rossville golf cart ordinance.

According to the Rossville ordinance drivers of golf carts must be 18 years of age.

“This makes no sense,” said Queen. “You allow a 16-year-old to drive a 3,500 pound, $20,000 car but you won’t let them operate a golf cart.”

Petersen agrees.

“We have a 17 year old son and he is not allowed to operate the golf cart,” Petersen added. “I feel a lot safer to have him drive a golf cart that only goes 20 miles per hour than a car.”

Another change both Queen and Petersen would like to see is the hours of operation. The village limits operation to dawn to dusk. Both say that the ordinance requires headlights and taillights so that should allow them to operate after dark.

Neither Queen nor Petersen, both village trustees, have heard of any objections to the new ordinance from village residents.

In Westville, the residents may operate golf carts on the village streets but as of this writing they may not cross Illinois Route 1.

According to Illinois Department of Transportation guidelines, villages that have a state highway running through them must designate golf cart crossing places in their ordinances. Those ordinances are then sent to IDOT for approval.

The Westville village council originally wanted four crossing across Route 1 but IDOT turned those down due to safety fac-tors. IDOT felt that with the high volume of traffic and traffic speeds the only safe crossing point on Route 1 would be the stop-light at Main Street and Route 1 (State Street). The village council approved an ordinance to that effect and sent it off to IDOT. When IDOT approves it they will install signs warning motorists of a designated golf cart crossing. As of this writing, that approval from IDOT had not been received.

Rossville has two designated golf cart crossings. One is at the entrance to Christman Park at the intersection of Stufflebeam Drive and Route 1 (Chicago Street) and the other is the intersection of Attica Street and Route 1 at the stoplight.

Rick Jones of Westville also owned a golf cart before it was legal to be on the streets.

“I used mine when I went out shooting sporting clays,” said Jones.

Jones said when it became legal on the village streets he upgraded to a four-seater golf cart.

“My wife and I like to take the grandkids out for rides,” Jones added.

Another golf cart owner in Westville is Darin Troglia.

“I think the golf cart ordinance is a great ordinance,” said Troglia. “My son has a heart condition and is not able to ride a bike and his grandparents live here in town. So we can jump in the golf cart and drive to his grandparents to visit.”

Troglia also said he often uses his golf cart to take his son to school and pick him up.

“It is a great way to meet more people,” added Troglia. “When you are driving along, you see people out and you will stop and talk to them.”

Troglia said he expects to see a lot more people in Westville purchase golf carts next year.

While operating a golf cart is now legal in many communities, don’t try riding it down a state highway. IDOT does not allow golf carts to operate on state roads.

The requirements for operating a golf cart on public streets varies from community to community but the basics are in each ordinance.

State law requires front and rear lights with brake lights, rear-view mirror, brakes, tires, "slow-moving" emblem on the back, licensed driver and liability insurance. Most ordinances require an inspection by police before a permit is issued and a fee is generally paid annually to operate the cart. Rossville and Westville officials charge a $25 fee.

Some communities require seat belts. Times of operation differ from community to community and some communities only allow them during certain times of the year. Also, golf cart drivers are subject to Illinois Motor Vehicle laws such as driving while intoxicated.

A golf equipped to operate on the streets can cost anywhere from $3,000 to as high as $8,000. The cost to insure a golf cart varies from company to company and can be added to an existing auto or homeowner’s insurance policy.