Wright City for the first time will allow golf carts and UTVs (side-by-sides) to operate on city streets as long as the vehicle is registered at City Hall.
Aldermen unanimously approved an …
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Wright City for the first time will allow golf carts and UTVs (side-by-sides) to operate on city streets as long as the vehicle is registered at City Hall.
Aldermen unanimously approved an ordinance allowing the vehicles during their Oct. 14 public meeting. However, residents wanting to go for a spin around town will have to wait until city officials are ready to begin registering the vehicles.
ATVs remain banned, with very narrow exceptions for agriculture and industry.
The ordinance only applies to city streets. State roads, such as the outer roads and lettered highways, are still governed by more restrictive state law.
A number of restrictions come with the UTV allowance, including that drivers must follow many of the same rules that govern other street-legal vehicles:
• Drivers must obey all rules of the road and traffic signage.
• Drivers must be 16 years old with a valid driver license.
• Vehicles must have a registration decal issued by City Hall.
• Vehicles must have insurance coverage.
Additionally, aldermen set unique restrictions on the low-speed vehicles to address safety concerns presented by residents:
• UTVs and golf carts can only operate on streets with speed limits of 30 mph or less, except to cross faster roadways.
• The vehicle must have a reflective flag or “slow moving vehicle” decal.
• Under state law, golf carts must be equipped with a full assembly of headlights, tail lights, brake lights and turn signals.
• If the vehicle is equipped with turn signals and seat belts, those must be in use while operating the vehicle.
City leaders have been debating exactly what allowances and restrictions to include in this ordinance for nearly a year, said Board of Aldermen President Ramiz Hakim.
The continued ban on ATVs was controversial, but the Wright City Police Department was adamantly against ATVs because of safety concerns, Hakim said, concerns which were shared by some aldermen and residents.
Aldermen had also debated what safety equipment to require on golf carts and UTVs. Although many come equipped with features such as seat belts and light assemblies, aldermen decided against requiring anything that wasn’t already required on golf carts by state law.
The registration requirement with Wright City Hall will include submission of the name and contact information of a vehicle’s owner, along with a description of the vehicle being registered, in order to receive a decal with unique identification for the vehicle. That will help Wright City police enforce safety regulations that address some residents’ concerns about having the vehicles on the streets, city officials said.
Hakim later commented that he is requesting for police to strictly enforce safety rules and assess fines to ensure that low-speed vehicles are driven responsibly.
City Hall staff told The Record that a registration process is still under development, and that it could be a few months yet before owners can start registering their vehicles.
