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Mandatory education for boaters long shotMandatory education for boaters long shot
Even if N.C. proposal OKıd, S.C. may not follow
John Marks
Pilot reporter
LAKE WYLIE Even if mandatory boater education comes to the northern
end of Lake Wylie, it could take a while. And, thereıs no guarantee itıll
ever come south of the border.
The Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House is
currently investigating the possibility of mandatory boating education laws
for all boaters since Rep. Michael Wray, representing Northampton, Vance
and Warren counties, introduced bill H2139 last month to the N.C. state
general assembly.
Wray, a Gaston, N.C., business owner, asked that the Legislative
Research Commission study the feasibility of ³requiring all persons to
satisfy boating education requirements prior to operating a motorboat or
personal watercraft.² If passed, a report would be made to the 2009 general
assembly and $25,000 would be appropriated from the state general fund.
³Itıs going to be an interesting journey,² Wray said. ³Itıs for the
safety of everybody.²
N.C. laws
Currently, North Carolina boater education is required only for
individuals aged 14 to 16 operating a personal watercraft without adult
supervision. According to the U.S. Coast Guard Web site, uscgboating.org,
North Carolina tied Missouri as the No. 6-ranked state nationally for
boating accidents with 175 incidents in 2006, the most recent year national
statistics were available. The state saw 761 incidents from 2002 to 2006.
Charles ³Bo² Ibach, long-time safe boating instructor for the Charlotte
Power Squadron and Lake Wylie Marine Commission member, says mandating
boating education could take a while.
³I think itıs going to be a long, involved process,² Ibach said. ³Itıs
probably going to take a couple of years or more to get on board.²
Ibach and Lighthouse Marine Service Lt. Scott Spivey traveled to
Raleigh, N.C., in late March for a fact-finding meeting with North Carolina
legislators. Although 35 states have some form of mandatory education, Ibach
and others arenıt sure statistics support the need for a quick response.
Plus, even if the law is passed in North Carolina, the task at Lake Wylie
would not be complete, Ibach said.
³The next step will be to see what we can do in South Carolina,² he
said.
S.C. laws
Mike Willis, S.C. Department of Natural Resources spokesman, doesnıt
expect anything to happen too soon.
³Pretty much itıs not a pressing issue,² Willis said. ³The issue has
been brought up in the past. Itıs been discussed, but itıs never really
moved beyond that.²
Legislators in the Palmetto state considered additional boater laws,
such as a 2005 effort by then state Rep. Ralph Norman calling for boating
licenses. That effort, like others, never made it out of committee for a
full vote.
³The time people spend on their boats and on the water is viewed by the
Legislature as peopleıs free time,² Willis said. ³The Legislature strives to
place as few regulations on people as possible.²
According the Coast Guard, South Carolina ranked 18th nationally for
boating accidents in 2006 with 93. From 2002 to 2006, South Carolina saw 472
incidents.
Currently, the only mandatory boating education law in South Carolina is
for boaters younger than age 16 who want to operate a vessel without an
adult. A boating reform act in 1996 tightened existing boating laws and
another legislative act in 1999 cracked down on drinking and boating.
Boating fatalities are down from about 35 deaths a year to about 13 a year,
Willis said.
He does, however, encourage boaters to be educated.
³The statistics clearly show that boaters who have gone through a safe
boating course are far less likely to be involved in an incident than
boaters who havenıt,² Willis said. ³Even though itıs not mandated for
everybody, we certainly recommend it.²
Is it needed?
Thomas Lambright of Gaffney, whoıs been boating for 40 years and was
fishing at Lake Wylie last week, said he doesnıt need a boating education
course. However, he supports mandatory education for less-experienced
boaters.
³I donıt know whether they donıt know the laws or whether they donıt
obey the laws,² Lambright said. ³It all boils down to attitude, whether they
want to participate in a safe environment or not.²
Everything from payment for courses to increased law enforcement on the
water would make mandatory education a challenge, Lambright said.
³That would depend on who would offer the class, where you would have to
go to take it and how much it would cost,² he said. ³You canıt charge. It
has to be paid by the state.²
David Sada, who transports boats for Double D Hauling out of Aberdeen,
N.C., says mandatory education is a great idea. Sada estimates 50 percent of
the people on the water ³just buy a boat and go.²
³Itıs a very good idea,² he said. ³Itıs just like driving a car. You
have to take a test and show you know what youıre doing. When youıre on a
boat, you donıt have control like you do in a car. You canıt just stop.²
Several boating safety courses are available, including online courses
offered by state agencies to classroom, proctored courses from the Power
Squadron, Lighthouse and others.
³Weıre already certified (to teach the courses),² Ibach said. ³It would
just be more people (taking classes). Quite honestly, what I think weıll see
is more youth.²
Most instructors of boating courses agree more participation in safety
classes is needed for safer waterways.
³Safety is No. 1 and saving lives,² Wray said. ³Itıs not just lakes.
Itıs rivers, oceans, sounds any body of water in the state.²
The legislation could be modeled after the boater education law in
Virginia, where existing safe boating courses would meet the requirement,
and the rule in neighboring states, such as Tennessee, will be evaluated to
see how the states can work together, Wray said.
Should boating education classes be mandatory? Send comments, including your name and phone number to news@lakewyliepilot.com.
2008-06-11 16:39:17
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