St. Marys Committee Tables Golf Cart Seatbelt Discussion After Review of State Law, Local Safety Record

A discussion about whether St. Marys should require seatbelts on golf carts has been tabled for now following a meeting of the city’s Streets and Sidewalks Committee.

According to information shared by St. Marys City Council At Large member Michael Aquaro Jr. and comments from Mayor Joe Hurlburt, the committee met at 5:15 p.m. to review the issue. Officials said no final action was taken and the matter will remain tabled while the city gathers more information.

Hurlburt said Law Director Zach Farrell told the committee that Ohio does not require seatbelts on golf carts at the state level. Instead, he said, it is up to each municipality to decide whether it wants to adopt its own ordinance requiring them.

The mayor also said golf carts in St. Marys are already required to be inspected, which the city does. In addition, Police Chief Andy Turpin told the committee he was not aware of any golf cart accidents ever being reported in the city.

Aquaro said St. Marys is fortunate not to have had any reported accidents involving golf carts. He added that if the city were to eventually adopt a seatbelt ordinance, it would likely be treated as a secondary offense, similar to a seatbelt violation in a motor vehicle.

Aquaro also noted that local dealers have said seatbelts now come standard from the factory on their newest golf cart models.

Hurlburt said the issue was tabled until Farrell can do more research and provide additional clarity on state law and what authority municipalities have. He said the discussion could return at a later date, but for now no changes are being made.