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Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Robert Edwards
National Golf Cart Association ™
1.888.687.6422
safety@nationalgolfcartassociation.com
www.NationalGolfCartAssociation.com
The National Golf Cart Association on a Mission of Safety Education
July 9, 2008---The National Golf Cart Association is on a mission to educate the increasing numbers of golf cart owners, operators, and passengers to make their golf cart experience a safe one. The golf cart is becoming a growing phenomenon in residential settings. As the Nation faces increasing fuel prices the public is looking for alternative ways to combat the rising cost of transportation.
Golf carts, classified as “Low Speed Vehicles” (LSV's), are allowed on many public roads providing they are equipped with required safety features and obey traffic laws as regulated by Federal, State and Local ordinances. Golf cart related injuries are on the rise in emergency rooms across the country. The youngest operators and passengers make up the largest number of victims. Recent studies indicate a lack of safety training as a contributing factor to this rise, with head trauma among the most serious injuries treated.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Injury Sciences studied 48,000 golf cart injuries and found the highest rate in males 10 to 19 years old and people older than 80. Researches suggest manufactures and sellers of golf carts should be required to include safety education materials at the time of sale.
Robert Edwards is taking his thirty-seven years in the automotive industry, with seventeen of those years spent in automotive education for America's youth, to tackle the issue of golf cart safety training.
“I'm not going to sit still and watch these numbers rise”, said Edwards. “I saw it coming and it is here now and we're lacking in our duty to educate the public”. Edwards sees a need to educate the youth of our country with the most powerful tool he has at his disposal, the Internet.
Edwards started a year ago consulting with design engineers, lawyers, safety professionals, law enforcement personnel, physicians, and driver education professionals. Through the recommendations of the National Golf Cart Association advisory board, an “e-book” is slated to be released titled “Golf Cart Defensive Driving and Riding”, free to the public on the NGCA website. Another “e-book” is also under development, “Golf Cart Safety for Teens”, that will cover recommendations for driving, riding and maintaining gas and electric golf carts. Edwards has an interactive web based training project on the drawing board that he hopes to have in operation in the near future..
“I know what needs to be done and I'm doing it”, said Edwards, “I'm getting the golf cart retail dealers involved; they are as concerned as I am”. “I have not talked to a dealer yet that didn't support our project.” They are the first line of defense to distribute safety knowledge and they want all the help they can get”. “I have spent a year of my time and a good bit of my personal money to get us where we are today”. “The funds received from the membership dues will be put into more research, education, and design of personal protective equipment for operators and passengers”.
For more information, visit the NGCA website http://www.nationalgolfcartassociation.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Edwin R. Stoddard
Director of Training
National Golf Cart Association ™
1.888.687.6422
safety@nationalgolfcartassociation.com
www.NationalGolfCartAssociation.com
The National Golf Cart Association Continues on a Mission of Safety Education
September 27, 2010---The National Golf Cart Association continues on its mission to educate the increasing numbers of golf cart owners, operators, and passengers about a safer mode of operation for their Golf Cart experiences. The Golf Cart is showing a growing presence in residential settings, for convenience, economy, and "being green", and usage continues to rise. As the nation contends with increasing fuel prices, the public is looking to alternatives to automobiles for short-trip transportation. Cheaper to buy, maintain, and operate, Golf Carts are attractive choices for many, especially in warm climates. The Federal program of tax credits for the purchase of LSVs has definitely boosted the sales of electric carts.
Classified as “Low Speed Vehicles” (LSV's), Golf Carts are allowed on many public roads, the providing they are equipped with required safety features as regulated by federal, state and local ordinances. As a result, Golf Cart related injuries are becoming commonplace in emergency rooms across the country. Recent studies indicate a lack of safety training is a contributing factor to this increase, and head and spine trauma are increasingly evident.
In 2008 the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Injury Sciences studied 48,000 golf cart injuries and found the highest rate of injury in males 10 to 19 years old and people older than 80. Researchers suggested that manufacturers and vendors of golf carts should be required to include safety education materials with the sale.
"We have been quite successful in moving our projects forward." stated Ed Stoddard, Director of Training for the National Golf Cart Association. "We are making an impact, and expect to do so even more as we continue to develop and make available our products for Golf Cart safety education. Golf Cart manufacturers are aware of the hazards, and spend a good deal of their time and resources on developing safe products, and more efficient products. A good example is the automatic brake which helps limit downhill speeds. The issue we are tackling is educating the public and commercial users toward safe operation and timely maintenance".
The impact mentioned by Ed Stoddard includes the awareness by the public of specific safety rules that apply to Golf Carts and that Golf Carts are not automobiles. "We have contacts throughout the year from representatives of residential communities that have begun allowing the use of Golf Carts on public roads and from industries where the Golf Cart has become a part of their operations. Often we are approached by media working on stories about the rise of Golf Cart usage. Unfortunately we are also gotten in touch with after accidents have occurred, often by law firms representing one side or the other of a tragic accident. We are focused on preventing accidents, so we investigate accidents to improve our instruction".
Stoddard said he is spending most of his time working at the National Golf Cart Association “on-line” Campus located at http://www.nationalgolfcartassociation.org where groups will be able to train and maintain training records for individuals, communities, and businesses. "We are definitely in an age of “Video-On-Demand” and that’s where we plan to take Golf Cart Safety Training".
For more information, visit the NGCA website http://www.nationalgolfcartassociation.com
News Release
DuPont Sustainable Solutions
Training Solutions
500 Studio Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
800.861.7668 Tel 757.498.3657 Fax
Contacts: Christine O’Brien
Sarah Britt
Sarah Britt 302-992-4341 757-631-3189 christine.o-brien@usa.dupont.com sarah.britt@training.dupont.comDuPont Sustainable Solutions Introduces Golf Cart and Low-Speed Vehicle Training Program
Designed to Promote Safer Operation, Reduce Accidents
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Sept. 16, 2011 – DuPont Sustainable Solutions (DSS) announces a new vehicle safety training program: Golf Cart and LSV Safety: On and Off The Course. Produced in conjunction with the National Golf Cart Association, this program addresses safety issues around the operation of golf carts and low-speed vehicles (LSVs) and promotes safer operation.
“Golf carts and low-speed vehicles are no longer exclusive to golf courses,” said Steve Zuckerman, market research analyst, DSS Training Solutions. “Increasingly we see them at sporting events, hospitals, airports, national parks, college campuses, military bases and retirement communities, among others. Unfortunately, this increased use has resulted in thousands of safety incidents in the United States each year.”
Golf Cart And LSV Safety: On And Off The Course covers 10 safety rules and essential
do’s and don’ts for operating a golf cart or LSV. It also explains how recognizing the differences between LSVs and standard vehicles is a key to safety. The program is offered on DVD in English, Spanish and Portuguese. It will soon be accessible as an interactive online course as well.
“The details in this golf cart safety training course will make a difference,” said Robert Edwards, founder, CEO and executive director of the National Golf Cart Association. “[It’s] the most comprehensive course we’ve ever reviewed…and a must-see for anyone who operates a golf cart. Participation in this one course, we believe, will help save lives, prevent accidents and reduce injuries.”
A free seven-day preview of Golf Cart And LSV Safety: On And Off The Course is available by calling 800-861-7668 or emailing info@training.dupont.com. A free online preview is available at www.training.dupont.com.
DuPont Sustainable Solutions, one of 13 DuPont business groups, is an integrated global services and technology delivery business. Its offerings are combined into four practice areas: Safety Resources, Sustainable Operations, Training Solutions and Clean Technologies. Together they offer consulting services, products and technologies that help organizations protect people and the environment, use assets more efficiently and improve worker skills and performance. Our training solutions have been used by more than 190,000 employee development professionals in 129 countries to help transfer knowledge and sustain business competitiveness.
DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.
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9/16/11
