Golf carts are motorized vehicles subject to the Highway Traffic Act when on public roads; that was the message driven home by Tiny Township council, staff, as well as the OPP.
A stern reminder was delivered during the recent committee of the whole meeting for Tiny following a prior delegation by a community member asking for municipal bylaw to do something about the increase of under-aged golf cart usage in the Tall Pines Drive area.
The August request was responded to by Coun. Kelly Helowka, a retired RCMP officer who admitted he had been waiting all night for the agenda item.
“Golf carts are motorized vehicles, plain and simple, and they are not allowed on township roads or any highway,” Helowka declared.
“People who have them are flaunting the law. You must not drive these vehicles on our roadways, period. And if you do, you are in violation of the Highway Traffic Act.
“The OPP have sole jurisdiction in this matter, and if you see people driving golf carts on our township roadways and highways, it is incumbent upon you to call the OPP non-emergency line and report this. This is the only way we are going to tackle this issue.
“More and more people think they can drive these motorized vehicles on our roads – children think they can drive these motorized vehicles on our roads; they can’t. It’s not allowed, it’s against the law. And only you, our residents, reporting them to the OPP every time it happens is going to be able to give our detachment commander enough information to have this enforced,” said Helowka.
Mayor Dave Evans then related a recent observation of seeing three youth in a golf cart in Balm Beach who passed by on the road, only to be turned around and followed home ten minutes later by an OPP cruiser slowly trailing close behind.
When asked for a bylaw perspective, chief municipal law enforcement officer Steve Harvey stated that moving violations were under provincial jurisdiction, and bylaw officers held no authority to pull over speeders, those without seatbelts, or those riding golf carts or all-terrain vehicles.
“In areas where there’s a homeowners association, that’s a great opportunity to share that messaging with them,” said Harvey, who agreed with contacting the OPP but also offered another proactive approach.
“If somebody sees this leaving a property and returning to a property, then that’s the opportunity to share that message with the police so that they don’t necessarily have to catch them,” said Harvey. “They can go and knock on the door, and provide a level of education after the fact to avoid a problem down the road.”
MidlandToday contacted the Southern Georgian Bay OPP detachment for the costs of fines under the Highway Traffic Act.
According to Const. David Hobson, a $150 fine would be considered the least expensive for a golf cart not having license plates. Not having insurance would incur a $5,000 fine.
For underage driving, the parents would be served under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, said Hobson.
Additional fines could occur for operation of a motor vehicle without required equipment, with no vehicle permit, intoxicated driving, and/or dangerous driving.
A 2021 media release from the OPP is available on the Tiny Township website regarding golf carts and off-road vehicles which are not allowed on municipal roads.
Southern Georgian Bay OPP detachment commander Inspector Todd Pittman provided an additional statement on golf carts to MidlandToday.
"The Southern Georgian Bay OPP detachment is committed to traffic enforcement and highway safety, as a key commitment in our 2023-2025 Detachment Action Plan,” wrote Pittman through email.
“Our members conduct proactive traffic enforcement and will take the appropriate action in each circumstance. We continue to serve our communities with pride, professionalism, and honour.”
The resident deputation on golf carts on roadways and underage drivers can be viewed on the agenda page on the Township of Tiny website.
Archives of council meetings are available to view on the township’s YouTube channel.
