Golf cart injuries are on the rise and many involve children, experts warn – National

Golf cart injuries are on the rise, Toronto doctors warn, and many incidents involve drivers under the influence of alcohol or children not wearing seat belts.

In a commentary published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), health professionals at Unity Health Toronto found that injuries involving golf carts can be serious and even fatal. They urge governments to address this growing concern as a public health issue.

“This documented increase in the frequency of injuries from golf cart use is concerning. In addition, children, older adults and people under the influence of alcohol – who are more vulnerable to injuries – are frequent golf cart users,” says Dr. Michael Cusimano, co-author and neurosurgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, said in a press release.

Golf carts are often exempt from government road safety regulations and typically lack essential features such as seat belts, lap bars and side doors, the authors argue. And regulations vary by province or territory.

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Ontario and British Columbia, for example, do pilot studies launched to regulate golf carts on rural roads, with maximum speed limits, operation requiring a valid driver’s license and a ban on passengers under eight years old. These pilot projects also allow the use of golf carts on municipal roadways in some jurisdictions.

Elsewhere, such as in Winnipeg and Saskatoon, a valid driver’s license is also required to drive a golf cart, but minors can still ride as passengers.

“Similar unequivocal regulations for golf cart users should be implemented across Canada. Insurance incentives and disincentives should be implemented for companies and drivers with good or poor safety records to encourage cities and companies that operate golf courses to maintain safe practices and regular safety maintenance of vehicles,” the authors said.

Children are particularly vulnerable when riding in golf carts, the report said.

For example, a study from 2021 published in Pediatrics examined golf cart-related injuries in children and adolescents in the United States. The research shows that the number of injuries has increased steadily in recent years, with more than half occurring in children aged 12 and under, rising from 5,490 cases in 2010 to more than 6,500 cases per year in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

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The study also found that the most common injuries were superficial wounds and fractures or dislocations, with the majority involving the head and neck. School and sporting events were found to be the most common locations for injuries.

There have also been numerous cases highlighting the dangers of golf carts, including a 2022 incident in Peterborough, Ontario, where a four-year-old boy died from a traumatic brain injury after the golf cart he was riding rolled over onto a golf cart. unpaved public road. The cart’s five other occupants were thrown and all suffered serious but non-fatal injuries.

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Public and private golf courses, as well as homes and farms and college campuses, are common locations for golf cart use and injuries, without government traffic safety regulations, the authors say.

And alcohol is often served at golf courses and other private recreational facilities, increasing the risk of injury, she added.

A 2011 study published in Otolaryngol head and neck surgery found that alcohol was found in 59 percent of people over the age of 16 with golf cart injuries, among whom the average blood alcohol concentration in many jurisdictions was more than double the legal limit.

Children were also involved 60 percent of the time, with an average age of 9.2 years; The study found that children were passengers in the golf cart 69 percent of the time.

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Current golf cart designs include emergency brakes, rearview mirrors and reflectors, but restraints such as seat belts or lap bars, windshields, side doors and air bags are uncommon.
meaning occupants are susceptible to ejection, the authors said.

In one 2018 research published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicinethe authors looked at golf cart injuries among children between 2008 and 2016 in the United States.

The study found that ejection (52 percent) and cart rollover (20 percent) are the most common mechanisms of golf cart-related injuries. In all car injuries studied, the authors said that only once did a child wear a seat belt, and in the vast majority no safety equipment was used. Children as young as nine rode in golf carts, and child drivers were associated with cart rollovers.

“Golf cart accidents were a source of significant morbidity in a level one trauma center. Increased safety measures such as higher lap rests, seat belts and front wheel brakes could significantly increase the safety of golf carts,” the authors said.

Unity Health Toronto physicians are urging physicians to advocate for change and are encouraging golf courses and other properties that use golf carts to change their policies.

“As the frequency of injuries related to golf cart use is increasing and many of these injuries could be prevented, physicians should advocate for immediate changes to reduce the severity and frequency of golf cart-related injuries,” they said.

“Users and owners of properties where golf carts are operated should be more aware of the dangers of operating a golf cart and adjust their behavior and policies accordingly,” they said.

“Governments, regulators and manufacturers must introduce and enforce new safety standards for the production, sale and use of golf carts to reduce the severity and frequency of golf cart-related injuries.”

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