Responsibility on the Water is About More Than Life Jackets
By John P. Whelan, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
"Wear It!” says the National Safe Boating Campaign with its graphic showing a person wearing a life jacket. Life jackets or, “personal flotation devices,” when worn while boating, have clearly demonstrated that they can and do save lives. But the campaign message and other initiatives are about much more than just life jackets; they're about boaters making the correct choices to boat more responsibly. "You're in Command. Boat Responsibly!" is the U.S. Coast Guard's national boating safety outreach initiative, launched in 2002. "You’re in Command" is designed to help boaters become aware that they are "in Command" and "Responsible" for their own actions while on the water. The effort outlines four principles of boating safety that can have the most impact on a boater’s safety: always wear a life jacket; never boat under the influence (BUI); take a boating safety course; and get a free Vessel Safety Check (VSC).
Boater Education
Whether you’re the captain of a ship, the skipper on a boat, or just the family leader at the helm for the day, you are the person responsible for the safety and security of all persons onboard, for damage to property, and for people you might injure or affect by your boat’s course or its wake. Thus, you have a duty and a legal obligation to be a person of trust and reliability. To earn that level of respect, you must know what you are doing and demonstrate it through example and practice.
To a degree unmatched by many other forms of transportation, passengers and other boaters are dependent on your skills, conduct and professional approach to boating. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, of those persons involved in fatal boating accidents in 2004, nearly 70 percent occurred on boats where the operator had no formal training in boat handling or safety.
Boating safety and general boating classes and online tutorials are available from many organizations dedicated to keeping our waterways safe, such as the U.S. Coast Guard Auxilliary and the United States Power Squadrons®. Visit www.uscgboating.org for a complete listing of resources.
Passenger Responsibility
While boat operators bear ultimate responsibility, passengers on boats must also bear accountability as individuals, even if not in the legal sense. For example, wearing a life jacket is not only boating smart, it’s about the boater staying alive. “It is time for recreational boaters to accept personal responsibility for their actions—to boat responsibly,” says John Malatak, Chief of the Program Operations Division, U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety. “Boaters need to understand that life jackets save lives, and that there is rarely time to reach for a stowed lifejacket in an emergency.”
The U.S. Coast Guard’s boating accident fatality report indicates that more men and women would be alive today if they had done the responsible thing and worn their life jackets. According to 2004 U.S. Coast Guard statistics, out of 676 recreational boating fatalities, 484 persons drowned, 223 were related to alcohol, and 383 (57 percent) were the result of capsizing or falls overboard. Also out of that 676, approximately 609 persons were not wearing a lifejacket when the incident or mishap occurred. Statistics also show that approximately 4 percent of accidents are due to equipment failures or malfunctions, 33 percent are attributed to the environment, and 63 percent are a result of human error. While some accidents can be avoided entirely by practicing responsible boating, making those same responsible choices can make incidents outside of our control less deadly.
Making Responsible Choices Easy Choices
There is good news, however; the boating industry has responded with more choices in personal flotation devices today than ever before. Modern life jackets are smaller, lighter, more comfortable, more colorful, and are available customized for each type of boating activity. Inflatable models are the least bulky of all life jacket types. They contain a small amount of inherent buoyancy in addition to an inflatable chamber. When inflated, their performance is equal to a Type I, II or III. This makes an excellent choice for sportsmen like hunters and anglers looking for a jacket they can wear comfortably for long periods of time, but also for the general boater who’s looking to stay comfortable and cool.
Regulatory Influence on Boating Safety
While much of the boating industry and their consumers prefer not to make life jacket wear for recreational boats mandatory through laws and regulations (much like seatbelt laws for safety in automobiles), there is a growing trend toward mandatory boating safety education. Several states have now either passed mandatory boater education laws for certain vessel types and/or operator age groups, or are currently developing one.
With motor vehicles, wearing seatbelts, having safety equipment that is in working condition, and safe operation are imperative. Just as when driving an automobile, vessel operators are also legally responsible for a number of mechanical and operative procedures on boats. Boat operators are required to carry specific Federal and state safety equipment like the proper number of life jackets, fire extinguishers in working condition, sound producing devices, visual distress signals, proper display of registration numbers, etc. While underway, properly displaying navigation lights at night, giving correct sound signals when required, and observing no-wake zones and other restricted areas are standard operating procedures for boat operators. In addition, completing accident reports, providing assistance to others in distress, properly disposing of trash, oil, and other pollutants, and overall safe handling of the boat in any condition are necessary practices. The boat’s overall condition is equally important. Ventilation systems should be working, and, if required, the backfire flame control should be in working condition to prevent a potential hazard.
Boating Under the Influence
Finally, boating under the influence (BUI) of drugs and/or alcohol even in small amounts can be a recipe for disaster. Alcohol not only depresses the central nervous system, but in conditions where your senses are further challenged by weather conditions and other stressors, a boater’s performance at the helm can be even further diminished. Factors such as the heat of the sun, glare, rain, wind, carbon monoxide exposure, the motion of the waves, noise, and vibration can all affect performance and increase alcohol’s effect.
“If boaters accepted personal responsibility for their actions and the actions of their passengers they would not drink and boat,” says Malatak. “They would not subject themselves, their passengers, or other boaters to accidents and fatalities caused by impaired reaction time and judgment.”
Current U.S. Coast Guard statistics reveal that approximately one-third of all recreational boating fatalities in 2004 involved alcohol. Stated another way, 223 people may have died in just one year because they or the boat operator was impaired. As horrific as this fact is, it represents only part of the impact of BUI.
The Bottom Line
Responsibility does matter, and it should apply not only to those with a legal obligation to others, but also to those with a personal obligation to themselves. Each fatality represents a devastating loss to family and loved ones. And many may be preventable.
Wearing a life jacket while boating is a person’s first line of defense and sometimes, a person’s last line of defense as well. Safety education is paramount to operating anything with a motor or used to transport others. Safety equipment in vehicles and boats are standard features and when it comes to driving under the influence, ‘knowing when to say when’ is just not enough these days. The most important safety feature and standard today is a sober operator and one who boats responsibly.
Recreational boating is truly one of America’s favorite pastimes, a growing family sport, a way of life for some, and a freedom we all should continue to enjoy. But with great power comes great responsibility—we owe it to others and ourselves to stay the course and be responsible on the water.
For more information about recreational boating safety and boating accident statistics, visit www.uscgboating.org.
Regulations forjetskis on Newfound Lake -
RSA 270:74-a, Skicraft banned on Sanborn’s Bay, Hebron Bay, the area from Roger’s Point to Paradise Point between Hebron Bay and Sanborn’s Bay, Follansbee Cove, Hornet Cove and Pikes Bay. Skicraft may proceed, at headway speed only, through the above-mentioned areas to non-restricted areas.
RSA 270:74-a - Skicraft shall be restricted to direct travel to and from shore to the main portion of the lake.
RSA 270:74-a - No person shall operate a ski craft in the Southeast Cove other than to proceed directly to or from the main portion of the Lake.
SAF-C 402.57 - a) No person shall operate a vessel at a speed exceeding 6 MPH on that portion of Newfound Lake consisting of the so-called channel running in a general northeast to southwest direction between Cliff Island and Belle Island on the northwest and mainland on the southeast. b) No person shall operate a vessel at a speed exceeding 6 MPH on that portion of Newfound Lake known as the channel between Mayhew Island and the mainland at Pikes Point. c) That portion of Newfound Lake, in Hebron Bay, beginning at the sandbar entering the marsh area and including the marsh area shall be a no wake area. d) That portion of Newfound Lake in the towns of Bristol and Bridgewater known as Pop’s Cove shall be a no wake zone.