LEXINGTON — Golf carts aren’t for just for the green.
State law now allows golf carts on all Ohio roadways with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. The measure became effective Jan. 1.
Tom Lesch, manager of Lesch Battery, has been spreading the word throughout local communities, fittingly in a street legal OSU-themed golf cart.
Lesch Battery, which sells an array of batteries, added golf carts to its product line about five years ago, the majority of which are rebuilt according to the customers’ needs/desires.
“I can easily put $10,000 into a golf cart if that’s what you want,” Lesch said.
Many of the Lexington business’s golf cart customers belong to campgrounds.
“At Lake Maria, everybody has a golf cart,” he said. “And farmers — a lot of them will have a golf cart to run down and get their mail or go to the chicken coop.
“Now with the new law it should change things quite a bit, but I’m not sure it will.”
Street legal golf carts must meet a number of requirements, which may vary from municipality to municipality. Common requirements include a horn, windshield, rear-view mirror, seat belts, headlights, tail lights and turn signals.
Before hitting the road, the cart will need to be inspected by the local police department.
Motorists will also need to have a valid driver’s license, as well as a title, license plates and proof of insurance on their cart.
Lesch estimated that a street legal golf cart costs close to $4,000, while a recreational golf cart costs about $3,000.
“Normally a golf cart will go about 14 mph,” he said. “But for a street legal golf cart, we’re going to speed it up to at least get up to 19 mph.”
Tom and his son, Brian opened Lesch Battery on Plymouth Street in 2008.
“We started from scratch,” Lesch said. “No franchise, no nothing.”
The business has since moved to its current location at 2744 Lexington Avenue. It serves Richland, Ashland, Crawford, Marion and Knox counties, and other parts of the state.
Various batteries are sold by the business, including automotive, commercial, farm, marine, lawn and garden and power sports.
