To the editor:

This is a response that adds to a letter to the editor from a neighbor on Lake Lanier, published Sept. 29, 2015. I, too, reside on Lake Lanier and have experienced what Mr. Squires has experienced. So, my response is the following:

 

Lake Lanier and the main roads servicing the lake area are South Carolina secondary roads. These roads are governed by SC highway laws and therefore, the laws regarding Golf Cart usage on roads is clearly spelled out in the link:

http://www.scdmvonline.com/DMVNew/default.aspx?n=golf_carts . In brief it states that golf carts may be operated on secondary roads only by permit and that a permit must be completed and registered with DMV:

·        Complete Form GC-2, Golf Cart Permit Registration

·        Provide proof of insurance for the golf cart

·        Provide a valid driver license number for the operator

·        Submit a fee of $5

 

I believe the key wording here in response to the problem is “Provide a valid driver license number for the operator”! Obviously young people are therefore breaking the law, or better said, their parents are breaking the law by allowing their children to operate the golf carts on public roads in South Carolina. Also, the golf cart needs to remain within four miles of the residence.

 

Additionally, this also extends beyond golf carts. ATVs and dirt bikes are being operated on the lake roads and at dangerously high speeds. This I have witnessed myself and even witnessed them operated by those without valid driver’s licensing. ATVs are not intended nor are they licensed for secondary or public road use at all. Dirt bikes, purely by their definition, are for operating on dirt, and are also not intended for public road use!

 

So, along with Mr. Squires, those residents who have been a part of this activity near or on Lake Lanier need to take notice. It would be a very sad time to have police show up with the news of a youngster being injured or killed while operating a golf cart, ATV or off-road bike.

 

Carol Foreman Whaley
Lake Lanier, S.C.