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Golf carts and low speed vehicles

Golf carts and LSV are increasingly being used for non-golf course uses including sports events, airports, military bases, residential facilities and college campuses; golf cart use has been present on the UW campus for many years. More recently, use of these vehicles has become more attractive because of the environmental and economic advantages, which include the use of alternative fuels, lower operation and maintenance costs, and smaller size and footprint of the vehicles. With the increase in the number of vehicles for various purposes on campus and the greater use of vehicles by departments crossing the expanding Seattle campus, the potential risks associated with their use increases. The Environmental Health & Safety Department (EH&S) conducted an evaluation to determine the potential risks from the increased use of golf carts and LSVs on the UW campus.

EH&S has conducted an evaluation that includes:

  • An evaluation of the current management practices related to the use of golf carts and LSVs on the Seattle campus
  • Benchmarks of common program elements for golf cart and LSV safety programs at 50 universities
  • An assessment the applicable local, state and federal requirements for use, operation and maintenance of golf carts and LSVs

UW basic small utility vehicle and golf cart policy (pdf) - EH&S