The 2011 Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA) presented its Boating Safety Leadership award to Sharon M. Carrick, Director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Licensing and Registration Service, and Boyd Walden, Deputy Director Division of Motorist Services for the State of Florida during the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) annual conference on September 12 in Milwaukee, Wisc. The award is presented annually to one or two public officials who have worked diligently, together with NASBLA, towards significant positive steps around boating safety. 

The PWIA Boating Safety Leadership award this year recognizes the work done by Carrick and Walden as a part of NASBLA’s Titling Committee, in close conjunction with the Uniform Law Commission, to develop The Uniform Certificate of Title Act for Vessels.

The Uniform Certificate of Title Act for Vessels creates needed title and registration standards for boats and includes five key objectives:

1. Qualify as a state titling law that the Coast Guard will approve;
2. Facilitate transfers of ownership of a vessel;
3. Deter and impede the theft of vessels by making ownership information available to both government officials and potential buyers;
4. Accommodate financing  and mortgage arrangements for vessels; and
5. Provide consumer protections during the purchase of a vessel through the act’s branding initiative, which requires the title to be marked if the boating vessel has been significantly damaged.

David Dickerson, PWIA executive director presented the award, remarking, “Just as today’s personal watercraft have grown in design and use to become just another type of boat, it is appropriate that this year’s award recognize work that benefits all boaters.”

The safety of a vessel begins with its titling and state support is an important element in developing uniform standards. The PWIA is delighted to recognize these efforts and the hard work of the award’s recipients.

To read the Uniform Law Commission’s press release on the approval of this act or the full text version of the act, follow the links provided.  For more information, contact David Dickerson at 202-737-9761 or ddickerson@nmma.org.

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About PWIA:  Founded in 1987 by the manufacturers of personal watercraft, the Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA) is an advocate for safe and responsible PWC operation and equal access to waterways under the same regulations and laws that apply to all forms of boating.  PWIA is an affiliate organization of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the leading trade association representing the recreational boating industry in North America. For information on PWIA and personal watercraft visit www.pwia.org. For information on NMMA and the recreational boating industry visit www.nmma.org.