A bill designed to lower the cost of owning and operating LSVs (low speed vehicle) cleared its first Committee stop in the Florida State Senate Thursday. The bill's sponsor, Republican Senator Alan Hays, says by changing that vehicle's status to a golf cart, it will lower the cost of things, like insurance premiums.
Florida LSV drivers pay higher insurance premiums than they would for a regular car. The bill would allow owners of those vehicles to pay less if they lower the maximum speed to that of a golf cart.
"This will then enable the owners to unregister those vehicles with DMV. The DMV will then furnish them with a decal," said Hays.
"This decal will then be visible to anyone concerned to see this is a converted vehicle that will only be used at golf cart speeds. And, they don't have to pay their license fee or higher insurance premiums on it."
LSVs typically have a governed max speed of 25 mph, and are legal to operate on public streets and roads designated for their use. Reducing the top speed to less than 15 mph would allow them to be reclassified as golf carts, but they would no longer be allowed on public roads.
As of December, there are about 5,800 LSVs registered in Florida.