December 2018 December 2018 | Page 45

MAINTAININGYOURGOLFCAR Knowing basic safety procedures and fundamentals is only a portion of golf cart safety Another important aspect to consider is golf cart maintenance. Keeping your golf cart well taken care of and regularly maintained, will help keep you safe. Proper golf cart mainte- nance can go a long way toward helping you avoid serious golf cart accidents or injuries. Here’s a guideline to proper golf cart mainte- nance from golfcartsafety.com; • • • Check tires for proper inflation or punctures, screws, nails, etc. Have brakes and steering serviced immediately if they are not working properly. Make sure headlights and brake lights are operational, especially before using a golf cart after dusk or in inclement weather. • • • • • • Look for battery or other fluid leaks indicated by wet spots under the golf cart. Recharge the golf cart in a safe, dry, charging station, with a fire extinguisher nearby. Never recharge near an open flame or ignition source. Never smoke in your recharge area. Recharge batteries only with a charger that is designed to shut off automatically when the batteries are fully charged. Remember to unplug all battery charger cords before using the golf cart. Do not allow towels or golf cart accessories to hang down over turn signals or brake lights. DECEMBER 2018 45