SUN CITY – Sometimes it’s never too late for old news, especially when there are as many golf carts driving around Sun City roads as there are.
With spring finally coming into full swing here in Sun City, residents who own golf carts or other vehicles known as neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) are taking to their cleaner-running, less expensive (and at over $4 for a gallon of gas, A LOT less expensive) electric-powered little friends to get them to the golf course, Prairie or Meadow View Lodges, neighborhood gatherings or card games, and even to area merchants (so long as they’re on “this side” of Rt. 47), such as Walgreens or Citizens Bank.
But as of January 2010, the Illinois Vehicle Code was amended to state that all golf carts and NEVs need to carry insurance in order to be driven legally on any municipal roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less, which include those inside Sun City. (Golf carts or NEVs are considered non-highway vehicles and therefore are not allowed to operate on roads with speed limits above 35 mph.)
“You could be cited for not having insurance, and you should have proof of insurance with you while you’re operating the vehicle, just like you would with a regular motor vehicle,” said Dan McGath, legislative liaison for the vehicle services department for the Illinois Secretary of State’s office.
According to some local insurance agencies and depending on the vehicle’s cost, make, and model, coverage costs for golf carts or NEVs can range between approximately $45 to $80 per year with varying premium, deductible, and per-incident options.
