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North Carolina Enacted Mandatory Boating Education Statutes
Since 1993, 32 States have enacted mandatory boating education statutes and regulations (in addition to PWC-specific requirements) that address some segment of the adult recreational boating population.6 Despite these efforts, 77 percent of the recreational boaters involved in fatal accidents in 2003 had not received any boating safety instruction,7 and 18 States8 still have no education requirement. The Safety Board continues to believe that boating education and/or operator licensing requirements would improve boating safety, decrease recreational boating accidents and injuries, and increase PFD use. NASBLA’s National Boating Education Standards provide States with the basis for acceptable recreational boating safety courses; PFD use is specifically addressed in Standard 2.3.
This standard recognizes the need to inform boat operators that they should wear PFDs at all times and that they need to be alert to high-risk conditions such as high boat traffic, severe weather, dangerous water conditions, night operations, and boating alone. The standard does not, however, specifically require discussion of high-risk boating populations (such as adults in small boats), boats (less than 21 feet in length), or boating activities (such as the high-risk conditions 6 Most of the mandatory boating education laws enacted by States require recreational boat operators born after a specific date to take a boating safety course.
For example, Missouri requires boat operators born after January 1, 1988, to complete a boating safety course. 7 U.S. Coast Guard, Boating Statistics—2003, p. 19. 8 Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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