Can seat belts prevent golf cart tragedies?

SUN CITY, Ariz. (AP) -- If you're riding with Ray Rubin, hold on. Peering from under his straw hat, the whiskered retiree gasses his golf cart up to 30 mph, five miles above the speed limit. He grinds through a hard right, then suddenly juts left, not slowing down until he's home. He says he really doesn't see the point of wearing seat belts. What if they trap you in your cart? "If they hit this cart very hard it's going to turn over and it's going to mash up," he says. For now, seat belts come optional in new golf carts that are used on the street. But that's changing. In January 1997, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced plans to require not only seat belts, but turn signals, a windshield, mirrors and other safety features on all vehicles designed to drive on streets between 15 to 25 mph. It didn't say when the rules would take effect, and acknowledged that many of the features are already standard on new carts. The rules would have a big impact in ...  more