When safety is a priority, most personal watercraft accidents are prevented. To ensure other safe practices, Virginia has specific laws for the use of boats. Our game wardens in Virginia enforce these laws. Here are the specific laws on personal watercraft: For more information on state personal watercraft laws, see: www.nasbla.org/refguide.php Since Florida`s current Safety Education Act only applies to boaters born on or after January 1, 1988, personal contact between FWC officers and our partner agencies is an important part of our public relations and marine public education. Statistics show us that the boat operator most likely to be involved in a boating accident is a middle-aged or older man who has a lot of boating experience, but has never learned the most important safety considerations by taking a boating safety course. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries encourages all potential operators to take a boating safety course prior to independent operations, especially those with limited boating experience. The safe operation of a personal watercraft must be a conscious decision after knowing the facts. The true meaning of PWC is personal responsibility. Help make this a safe year for boats by not being part of the accident or death picture. Anyone who can reach the throttle, such as children under the age of 14, appears to be physically capable of operating a personal watercraft. However, the law states that drivers must be at least 16 years old, 14 or 15 years old and must have proof of the boater`s training on board to operate a personal watercraft. These drivers, whether they are 14 or 40 years old, are expected to make intelligent decisions, as injuries are only avoided if the operator is informed about the vehicle, knows the rules of the water and has the ability to make safe decisions based on all current variables, past experience and consideration of possible consequences. This boat operator accelerates in a slow speed zone (minimum wake).
All boat and personal watercraft operators must comply with the marked signs on the waterway. Another part of personal watercraft that offers advantages and disadvantages to the operator at the same time is the steering. Personal watercraft are very maneuverable, which is what makes them so attractive. A driver can accelerate quickly with a slight throttle movement, making driving exciting. At the same time, the throttle valve can be an obstacle. For example, steering control is lost when the throttle is released or the engine is turned off. This is extremely important if you are trying to get around an obstacle in the water. It is essential to run the engine when you need to run, even if you have to turn slightly. Responsible operators who know how to manage their personal watercraft avoid collisions with docks, floats and other boats. Some of the most recent models are equipped with trains. The addition of rudders helps to control the vehicle when there is no drive.
With the decision to operate the personal watercraft responsibly, there is important information to remember to ensure the safety of your trip. Some information relates exclusively to the mechanics of the boat. Other information is common sense, and the rest of the details include laws. First, let`s look at operational logistics. In terms of ecosystem impact, PWC operators can increase water turbidity in the areas where they operate their vessels, which not only makes it harder to see things in the water, but also blocks the light that seagrass beds and other plants need to survive. In addition, when not used in appropriate areas, these vessels can also drill holes in seagrass systems and disturb manatees or other wildlife in prime habitats. As a building operator, you need to understand how your vessel may impact wildlife and habitat in order to operate your vessel in a way that minimizes the impact on the ecosystem. Does my state have laws and rules specific to personal watercraft, such as a minimum age or mandatory training? Personal watercraft are defined by the U.S.
Coast Guard as Class A inboard vessels and must comply with standard vessel regulations. Operators of vessels are required to comply with all prescribed vessel speed regulations. Although personal watercraft are involved in a disproportionate number of boating accidents (property damage and personal injury), they have a high safety record when it comes to boat fatalities. The main reason for PWC`s low fatality rate is that all PWC operators, passengers and persons towed by personal watercraft must wear a life jacket approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. Other boat operators and passengers only need to have portable life jackets on board, but do not need to wear them. The use of impact-resistant lifejackets by PWC operators and passengers is recommended because high-impact types have more straps on the PFD vest to hold it in the event of a sudden spill into the water at high speed. In addition, jet propulsion is safer than a propeller engine. However, the jet drive inlet attracts loose objects and pulls them through the jet drive like a vacuum cleaner. Objects too large to enter the intake area are held against the intake grilles until the engine is turned off.
Common sense tells us to keep the area near the water withdrawal free of obstacles. Obstacles can be sand, stones, algae, or things like clothing, straps, fishing lines, plastic bags, and even long hair. The jet inlet is powerful and sucks everything into its impeller and damages the pump. The foregoing provisions do not apply to participants in regattas, races, naval parades, tournaments or exhibitions approved by the VDGIF or USCG Board of Directors. Each operator should have both the physical ability and mature judgment necessary for the safe operation of the vessel. Mature judgment comes with experience and age. For some operators, it`s hard to resist the temptation to jump out of wakes or squeeze between boats. The operator with mature judgment will recognize these situations as extremely dangerous. In addition to not knowing which direction the other operator will decide, large ships and barges will not be able to stop quickly. Remember that boats have no brakes.
Never jump in front of another boat. Being responsible means staying vigilant, making safety-conscious decisions and managing the personal watercraft defensively. It is better to be a safe operator alive than to regret your error in judgment after an accident, injury or worse. Persons 13 years of age or younger are not permitted to operate personal watercraft. Personal watercraft operators aged 14 and 15 must have proof of successful completion of a NASBLA-approved boating safety course. Personal watercraft are a lot of fun because of their maneuverability and power. For the same reasons, personal watercraft can be dangerous if not used responsibly. The potential danger is evident in the 2003 shipping accidents in Virginia, which show that although personal watercraft account for just over 10% of all registered vessels, they were involved in 22.6% of all vessel accidents. As a rapidly growing segment of boating, both in Virginia and across the country, boat operators need to become more safety-conscious through personal responsibility. The word “personnel” in personal watercraft emphasizes the operator`s independent decision to act responsibly. The safe operation of personal watercraft requires quick and responsible decisions based on mature judgment. As of July 1, 2009, all personal watercraft operators 20 years of age and under must complete a boating safety course.
This is the beginning of the phase for all boaters in Virginia: boats documented by the U.S. Coast Guard cannot be titled, but the owner of a documented boat can apply to the DGIF for a state registration sticker. Personal watercraft must comply with all rules and regulations applicable to powerboats. There are additional rules and regulations for PWC operators as follows: the faster a boat goes, the more force is applied to a “strike”. For example, the force of a shot at 30 miles per hour is four times greater than that of a shot at 15 miles per hour, all other factors being equal. If a boat hits a manatee in the head, for example while the animal is breathing, the animal can die immediately. Blows in other areas can result in acute injuries that quickly lead to death, but also chronic injuries that last for days, weeks or more before the manatee finally succumbs. Internal injuries such as broken or dislocated ribs can lead to death from internal bleeding or infection.