YOUNGSVILLE, La (KLFY)-- In Youngsville, the recent reporting of underage children driving golf carts in subdivisions is prompting police to inform parents and golf cart owners of safety concerns that prohibit that type of activity.

The Youngsville police department is sending a reminder to golf cart owners about the dangers of allowing young children to drive them and, of course, obtaining the proper permits.

Youngsville police chief Cody Louviere said his department has "seen an increase in children driving, which just overall is unsafe." In a Facebook post from the Youngsville Police shared it is prohibited to allow young children to drive them and they're only to be driven in neighborhoods.

"Youngsville as a whole is unique, where we have an ordinance that that allows golf carts within our subdivisions on public roadways, but only within those subdivisions," Louviere said.

Louviere said Youngsville's golf cart ordinance is in place to ensure everyone's safety. He said when children are driving golf carts, it puts them and other drivers at risk of being injured.

"What they fail to realize is these children don't have formal training," Louviere said. "They don't know how to drive, have never been through a driving course. And it's they're on the road with other vehicles, with vehicles that they could possibly hurt, injure them, you know, not only totaled the vehicle, but lead into their children."

Louviere said although golf carts are not cars, any unlicensed person found driving a golf cart will be fined. He said it's because safety is a top priority.

"Again, I think it's just a big misconception that because it's a slow moving vehicle, because it's not fast at that these children are okay on them," Louviere said. "And it's just it's a big fallacy. You know, it's not it's not safe for them in any in any way, shape or form."

In addition to making sure children are not driving golf carts, owners are reminded to get proper permits and register their carts with the city.

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