News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2002
Personal Watercraft Industry Supports Utah Legislation to License Boaters
Washington, DC—Personal watercraft manufacturers
today announced their endorsement of a Utah boating safety
bill to license motorboat operators in the state and require
passing a boating safety test.
"This bill will save lives," said Monita Fontaine,
executive director of the Personal Watercraft Industry Association,
which represents personal watercraft manufacturers. "Personal
watercraft manufacturers embrace this bill and all its provisions,
and we will actively work with Utah officials to see that
it becomes law." In fact, she said, "our goal is
to see similar legislation introduced in every state."
H.B. 4, sponsored by Utah Representative Loraine T. Pace,
"provides for driver licensing requirements for driving
a motorboat, including driver licensing sanctions for boating
offenses. This act combines driving under the influence provisions
with boating under the influence provisions." The bill
has passed the Utah House and is awaiting action by the State
Senate.
Two of the main provisions of the legislation are that it
would add an endorsement to Utah driver licenses permitting
operation of a motorboat of 10 horsepower or above by those
who have passed a written boating test, and it would merge
DUI law with BUI law, so that persons found guilty of either
offense would lose driving privileges on both the road and
the water.
"As more and more people take up boating, we can no
longer turn a blind eye to the need for stricter requirements
to operate a vessel on increasingly crowded waterways,"
said Fontaine. "The time is right for a law that will
measurably improve safety on Utah's lakes and rivers by ensuring
that motorboat operators are better educated and more responsible
for their behavior on the water."
Fontaine's only disappointment with H.B. 4 is that it would
allow children as young as 12 to operate a motorboat with
supervision. "We feel very strongly that the minimum
age for operation of a personal watercraft should be 16 years,
and 18 to operate a rented vessel." The majority of states
that have passed minimum age laws have seen their boating
accident rates decline.
"We don't allow just anyone to drive a car," Fontaine
continued. "They must be 16 or older, and pass a written
and a road test to show that they understand the rules of
the road and proper and safe operation of the vehicle. Would
you take your family on the highways if that weren't the case?
Extending similar provisions to motorboat operation, as H.B.
4 proposes, will enhance the safety of Utah's waterways."
Makers of personal watercraft have long supported reasonable
regulations, strict enforcement of navigation and safety laws,
and mandatory boating education. PWIA's model legislation
encourages all states to set a minimum age of 16 years to
operate a personal watercraft (18 to rent), along with other
sensible regulations such as mandatory education for all operators,
use only during daylight hours, and operation at slow-no-wake
speed within 100 feet of shore, anchored boats, piers, or
swimmers.
Personal watercraft are affordable family boats with clean,
quiet, fuel-efficient engines and no exposed propellers. Since
1998, personal watercraft manufacturers have invested in technological
advances that have led to a 75 percent reduction in hydrocarbon
and NOx emissions and a 70 percent reduction in sound. New
direct-injection systems in two-stroke personal watercraft
engines are vastly cleaner than older, conventional two-stroke
marine engines. The industry continues to innovate, and this
year, Bombardier, Honda, and Yamaha are offering four-stroke
engine technology in 2002 models of personal watercraft.
For a copy of the legislation or to schedule a phone interview
with Monita Fontaine, please call 202-721-1621. PWIA's Model
Legislation, and other information about personal watercraft
is available at www.pwia.org.
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