Responding to pleas from parents

and teens, the Peachtree City Council has agreed to allow 15-year-olds

to drive golf carts without parental supervision.

But to qualify for the privilege,

the 15-year-old drivers must have a Georgia learner's permit driving license.

And council ruled such drivers can only have one passenger who must be

at least 15 years old, except when they are riding with a parent, grandparent

or legal guardian.

Lauren Davis, a local teen

who sparked the issue with a letter earlier this year, took up the cause

again with council at its Thursday night meeting.

"When you have your permit,

the state of Georgia trusts you in your automobile and the golf cart has

less risks than an automobile," she said.

At first, councilmen Dan Tennant

and Steve Rapson were in favor of allowing two or three passengers, but

other council members balked, particularly Murray Weed who said three

or more teens can "suffer from group think."

"But three 35-year-olds

can be just as bad," Weed said.

Council has also approved a

measure to allow grandparents to supervise young drivers between 12 and

15 years old.

Several parents urged council

to reduce the unsupervised golf cart driving age from 16 to 15 so children

can get more driving experience before driving a full-fledged automobile

on their own after turning 16.

A separate measure to ban the

use of gasoline-powered golf carts failed. Those carts must be inspected

annually, with owners required to provide a certificate of that examination

to the city on a yearly basis.

City Councilwoman Annie McMenamin

said gas-powered golf carts are often the only option for seniors whose

carts are stored in units that don't have electrical outlets.

Peachtree City is the largest

golf cart community in the world with nearly 10,000 golf carts, noted

police chief James Murray. Only 2 percent of the city's carts are gas-powered,

Murray noted.