News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12, 2005

N.C. State House Approves Personal Watercraft
Age Increase Legislation

Industry-Supported Proposal to Increase Minimum Age Requirement,
to 14 Passes 102-14

Contact:
Brian Berry, 202-777-3524

Raleigh , NC— Legislation passed the State House of Representatives today that will require personal watercraft (PWC) operators in North Carolina to be at least 14 years of age to become eligible to operate. House Bill 702 sponsored by Rep. Jim Crawford passed in its third reading by an overwhelming 102-14 vote and will now advance to the State Senate. North Carolina ’s current personal watercraft age requirement is only 12 years old.

If passed in the State Senate and signed into law by the Governor, this legislation will become effective on September 1, 2005 . It will “grandfather” those PWC operators who are 12 years of age or older before September 1, 2005 . Additionally, the proposed law will also allow those boaters age 14 and older to operate a PWC so long as an adult at least 18 years old is on board, or if the operator has passed a boating safety course and is carrying the certificate issued by the Wildlife Resources Commission or another course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.

“PWC manufacturers support efforts to strengthen laws that make our waterways safer and encourage more responsible boating,” stated Christian Gullott , State Affairs Manager of the Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA). “Increasing North Carolina ’s minimum age requirement from 12 to 14 is a step in the right direction. Personal watercraft are motor boats just like other larger motor boats and therefore they require an operator at the controls who is mature and has received boater safety education,” Gullott continued.

The Personal Watercraft Industry Association has been monitoring the progress of HB 702 and will encourage State Senators to pass the legislation without delay. As the trade association representing PWC manufacturers in the U.S. , PWIA advocates for states to adopt its model legislation for regulating PWC use. PWIA’s model legislation (viewable at www.pwia.org) contains reasonable rules such as a minimum age of 16 to operate and 18 to rent PWC, mandatory boating safety education for all PWC users, and establishing sunset curfews.

“State Representatives have achieved a great victory today for the boaters of North Carolina to make our waterways safer and navigated by more responsible operators. Now it’s up to the State Senators and the Governor to finish the job,” Gullott concluded.