NEBRASKA CITY – Nebraska City commissioners tabled the drafting of an ordinance to expand the use of golf carts on city street in what Police Chief Ben Murray described as golf car provisions.

City ordinance currently allows golf carts on city streets only in direct transit connected to the Wildwood Municipal Golf Course, but Mayor Bryan Bequette said residents would also like to use them to get around their neighborhoods.

Public Works Commissioner Ron Osovski said the ordinance would likely restrict the golf carts to roads with a 25-mile an hour speed limit.

Mayor Bequette said the lack of seat belts is a concern because people can fall off or be thrown from the vehicle in an accident, while UTVs and ATVs have seatbelts or a helmet requirement.

Bequette said it would be possible to equip a golf cart with seat belts. He said the city should also consider safety equipment like flags, lights and turn signals.

Police Chief Murry referenced a Papillion city ordinance that requires seat belts, lights and turn signals. He said flags can also be required.

Murry: “I believe that is something we want to look at to make it as safe as possible for the community where they are going to be driven in.”

He said 20 mph speed limit is typical for a golf car.

Murry: “Generally the golf car is different than a golf cart. The “t” makes it a little different because the carts generally do not have lights.”

He said the ordinance restricting golf carts to municipal golf course traffic only should stay in place.

Murry: “With the golf car, I don’t believe there is going to be that big of a concern. We haven’t seen a huge influx of ATV, UTVs being misused after this ordinance passed the last several years.  I believe the golf car will be used by the older folks in the community to get short distances. It will be a lot easier to get into that than it would be to get in a car and drive to where they have to go.”