As we all know by now, oil prices have gotten high enough that many people are looking for alternate forms of automobile transportation. One interesting trend in small Midwestern towns is the increase in golf carts. In a great deal of towns across the nation, legislation has been passed to allow golf carts to be driven on the road.

While electric cars may be the future, their high price tag, and scarcity has caused many people to turn elsewhere. Golf Carts are very common these days, and are a very cheap electric car perfect for driving short distances. Although they are open vehicles and can only go 25 miles per hour, they have attracted many people with their electric motors which run at about $0.02 per mile. Car mechanics in these towns have seen business go down with more reliable cars and longer warranties and have begun getting auto shipping companies to send in golf carts to sell. People have responded well to this, as having a few small golf carts on a lot in a small town, is less intimidating than trying to sell a lot of used cars.

The best part is that these carts are very inexpensive. For the most part they can be bought for under $3,000, vastly different from the cheapest of cars which are in the $10,000+ range when all is said and done. Combined with this low price, electricity is far cheaper than gas at around $0.02 a mile rather than about $0.25.

Few modifications need to be made to these carts as well to make them street legal. The carts are simply required to have headlights, break lights, turn signals and a small air horn, all of which can be added for a few hundred dollars on top of the sub $3,000 price tag. Since they travel only 25 miles per hour and cannot go on the highway, they do not need to have any airbags or follow any crash safety standards. This is not a problem though, since mostly small towns have allowed them, ones with little traffic and wide open roads that people can feel safe driving slowly in their golf carts. This is similar to many gated communities, elderly communities, and islands like Martha’s Vineyard, where golf carts have become legalized and popular for the same reasons.

Golf cart use will likely slow when the weather gets colder since they are open and have no heating. For now however, they are a great way to save money, and a pleasant soothing form of auto transport for driving around town.