Do staff need training to drive a hired buggy

They need a proper briefing. A buggy is easy to operate but still a vehicle carrying people, so cover the controls, routes, speeds, passengers and the limits before anyone drives, and record that it was done.

What should the briefing include

The controls and parking brake, the agreed routes and pick-up points, the speed limits, how to carry passengers safely, the ground and weather limits, and what to do if a fault appears. Keep it practical and real.

Should we record who was briefed

Yes. Keep a short record of who was authorised and that they were briefed on the routes, speeds and rules, in the health and safety file. It closes the gap between a good plan and an unbriefed driver.

When should we use a trained driver instead

For events with drink, busy sites with crowds and children, or vulnerable passengers. In those settings a trained nominated driver removes the risk rather than spreading it across whoever is free, and is usually worth the cost.

Staff training for hired buggies

By James Brown · Updated 21 July 2026 · 6 minute read

White electric golf buggy outside a modern glass office building with delegates walking past

Staff driving a hired buggy need a short, practical briefing covering the controls, the agreed routes and speeds, how to carry passengers safely, the ground and weather limits, and what not to do. For events with drink, crowds or vulnerable passengers, a trained nominated driver is usually the better choice than briefing general staff.

Key takeaways

A buggy is easy to drive but still a vehicle that needs a proper briefing.
Cover controls, routes, speed, passengers and the limits.
Record who was briefed, as part of the safety file.
For drink, crowds or vulnerable passengers, use a nominated or trained driver.
Fit to drive matters: no one impaired should be at the wheel.

Easy to drive is not the same as no training

A golf buggy is simple to operate, which is exactly why it is easy to underestimate. It is still a vehicle carrying people, often around other people, and the fact that anyone can make it move does not mean anyone should drive it unbriefed. A short, practical briefing is the sensible minimum, and it is quick to do.

The briefing does not need to be formal or long, but it does need to be real. Someone who has been shown the controls, told the routes and speeds, and made aware of the limits will drive far more safely than someone handed the key with a wave. Recording that the briefing happened is part of a proper safety file.

What the briefing should cover

Cover the practical essentials. The controls: how to start, drive, brake and reverse, and where the parking brake is. The routes: where the buggy should and should not go, and the pick-up points. The speed: the limits on each route, and lower near crowds and children. Passengers: how many the vehicle carries, that they must be seated and holding on before moving, and that no one rides where they should not.

Then the limits, which matter as much as the controls. The ground and weather conditions where the buggy should not go. What to do if it will not start, or a fault appears. And a plain instruction to stop and ask rather than improvise if something is not right. A driver who knows where the edges are is safer than one who only knows how to make it go.

Record who was briefed

For an organisation, keep a short record of who was authorised to drive and that they were briefed on the routes, speeds and rules. It need only be a signed line, but it closes an obvious gap: a well-planned operation undone by an unbriefed person taking the wheel. The record belongs in the health and safety file alongside the risk assessment.

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When to use a trained driver instead

There are settings where briefing general staff is not the right answer and a trained, nominated driver is. An event with drinks flowing, where staff may not be in a fit state and guests certainly are not. A busy site with crowds and children, where control matters. Vulnerable passengers, older, frail or unwell, who need a careful, experienced hand. In these cases a dedicated driver removes the risk rather than spreading it across whoever is free, and it is usually worth the cost.

Common questions

Do staff need training to drive a hired buggy: They need a proper briefing. A buggy is easy to operate but still a vehicle carrying people, so cover the controls, routes, speeds, passengers and the limits before anyone drives, and record that it was done.
What should the briefing include: The controls and parking brake, the agreed routes and pick-up points, the speed limits, how to carry passengers safely, the ground and weather limits, and what to do if a fault appears. Keep it practical and real.
Should we record who was briefed: Yes. Keep a short record of who was authorised and that they were briefed on the routes, speeds and rules, in the health and safety file. It closes the gap between a good plan and an unbriefed driver.
When should we use a trained driver instead: For events with drink, busy sites with crowds and children, or vulnerable passengers. In those settings a trained nominated driver removes the risk rather than spreading it across whoever is free, and is usually worth the cost.