Should the driving age of driving a motorized boat be raised to 16 like driving a car? 🛥 ⛵️

[lanejudy]

Yes. But it can be revised to make further safety standards required as well I believe. I would think raising the minimum boating/PWC age to 16 would be a simple vote to ammend the law?

Maybe. I don't know how NY State laws are amended. It may need to be separate legislation -- drafted, discussed, voted -- and identical bills approved by both chambers of the state legislature.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Maybe. I don't know how NY State laws are amended. It may need to be separate legislation -- drafted, discussed, voted -- and identical bills approved by both chambers of the state legislature.

https://www.nysenate.gov/how-bill-becomes-law

https://nyassembly.gov/Rules/?sec=r3

 

[_19disnA]

Think this belongs at the state level. 10 yrs old seems way too young to operate a power boat, doubt most that age are even tall enough to see over the windshield. Not an expert in this subject but seems like jet skis are probably a bit different to operate from a power boat. Think everyone should be required to take some sort of training and/or get certification to operate a power boat.

 

[lanejudy]

https://www.nysenate.gov/how-bill-becomes-law

https://nyassembly.gov/Rules/?sec=r3

Thanks - so what do those links tell you about how a law can be amended? Is it a simple vote to amend Brianna's Law to have a minimum age?

 

[Buzz Rules]

Think this belongs at the state level. 10 yrs old seems way too young to operate a power boat, doubt most that age are even tall enough to see over the windshield. Not an expert in this subject but seems like jet skis are probably a bit different to operate from a power boat. Think everyone should be required to take some sort of training and/or get certification to operate a power boat.

All 50 states have a safety course I believe. It's the age of operation that's different. The list can be found here:
https://www.boat-ed.com/

 

[Buzz Rules]

Thanks - so what do those links tell you about how a law can be amended? Is it a simple vote to amend Brianna's Law to have a minimum age?

https://nyassembly.gov/Rules/?sec=r3#s6 :

"Amendments to a bill shall be made by the member proposing the amendment in the form prescribed by the Clerk of the Assembly and delivered to the Index Clerk.

A copy of each amendment offered by the sponsor of a bill shall be provided by Journal Operations to the chairperson and ranking minority member of any standing committee that previously reported such bill.

Prior to the commencement of debate on a bill to which an amendment is offered by a member other than the introducer, the Clerk of the Assembly shall make copies thereof and cause one copy to be placed on the desk of each member of the House. When there is more than one amendment to a bill and one of such amendments is adopted, any of the other amendments so offered shall, if so requested by the member offering same, be debated and voted upon immediately after such adoption, provided, however, that such other amendments are offered to those provisions of the bill not changed by the adopted amendment and are consistent with the provisions of the adopted amendment.

If a motion to amend prevails, the Clerk of the Assembly shall distribute copies of the bill with the amendment correctly marked thereon together with copies of the detailed description of the amendment to the appropriate Assembly offices for purposes of renumbering and printing the bill as amended.

No amendment shall be allowed to any bill which is not germane to the original object or purpose thereof."

So the process seems on paper simple enough.

 

[lanejudy]

https://nyassembly.gov/Rules/?sec=r3#s6 :

"Amendments to a bill shall be made by the member proposing the amendment in the form prescribed by the Clerk of the Assembly and delivered to the Index Clerk.

A copy of each amendment offered by the sponsor of a bill shall be provided by Journal Operations to the chairperson and ranking minority member of any standing committee that previously reported such bill.

Prior to the commencement of debate on a bill to which an amendment is offered by a member other than the introducer, the Clerk of the Assembly shall make copies thereof and cause one copy to be placed on the desk of each member of the House. When there is more than one amendment to a bill and one of such amendments is adopted, any of the other amendments so offered shall, if so requested by the member offering same, be debated and voted upon immediately after such adoption, provided, however, that such other amendments are offered to those provisions of the bill not changed by the adopted amendment and are consistent with the provisions of the adopted amendment.

If a motion to amend prevails, the Clerk of the Assembly shall distribute copies of the bill with the amendment correctly marked thereon together with copies of the detailed description of the amendment to the appropriate Assembly offices for purposes of renumbering and printing the bill as amended.

No amendment shall be allowed to any bill which is not germane to the original object or purpose thereof."

So the process seems on paper simple enough.

That's an amendment to a bill -- a law that the Assembly is currently discussing/debating.

An amendment to an existing law requires a new bill -- which goes through the whole process all over again: proposal, debate/discussion, vote, send to the other chamber, rinse and repeat and hope the other chamber doesn't amend the bill as approved by the first.

(and I really don't need you to copy/paste links or articles... I was looking for your understanding of the process. I grew up on Schoolhouse Rock and know how a bill becomes law)

 

[Buzz Rules]

That's an amendment to a bill -- a law that the Assembly is currently discussing/debating.

An amendment to an existing law requires a new bill -- which goes through the whole process all over again: proposal, debate/discussion, vote, send to the other chamber, rinse and repeat and hope the other chamber doesn't amend the bill as approved by the first.

(and I really don't need you to copy/paste links or articles... I was looking for your understanding of the process. I grew up on Schoolhouse Rock and know how a bill becomes law)

The bottom line is that the law should be changed period.

 

[dez1978]

In Missouri you have to be 14, and take a safety course if you were born after 1994. Personally, I think it should be at least 16 to operate one alone. My 13 year old has been "driving" our boat with dad sitting right next to him for the last year. But only in quieter areas of the lake (Lake of the Ozarks). I wouldn't feel comfortable letting him take our boat out alone when he turns 14. I also think it would depend on where they are tho I know that could be hard to enforce. LOZ is busy and chaotic and has lots of tourists who shouldn't be driving boats and pay zero attention to anyone else. So there is a lot more to worry about than say, Truman lake or the Osage river which has far fewer people on it.

You've got a whole lot packed into that.

Insurance is regulated by each state. Are you aware that not every state requires car insurance?

The USCG does not generally inspect personal recreation watercraft. You want to make that part of it?

We've already mentioned licensing and education.

Who will oversee all this? What agency? What will be the ramifications of not following a national standard? Will this remove state jurisdiction over registration and licensing?

I suggest starting with your own state if you feel the regulations are too lax. Trying to make it national is a leap too far.

That depends. Our boat is USCG Registered instead of thru the state. I don't remember why we did it that way, but you have the choice here when you buy one to get it titled that way vs thru the state.

 

[Buzz Rules]

In Missouri you have to be 14, and take a safety course if you were born after 1994. Personally, I think it should be at least 16 to operate one alone. My 13 year old has been "driving" our boat with dad sitting right next to him for the last year. But only in quieter areas of the lake (Lake of the Ozarks). I wouldn't feel comfortable letting him take our boat out alone when he turns 14. I also think it would depend on where they are tho I know that could be hard to enforce. LOZ is busy and chaotic and has lots of tourists who shouldn't be driving boats and pay zero attention to anyone else. So there is a lot more to worry about than say, Truman lake or the Osage river which has far fewer people on it.

That depends. Our boat is USCG Registered instead of thru the state. I don't remember why we did it that way, but you have the choice here when you buy one to get it titled that way vs thru the state.

What kind of boat do you use if you don't mind me asking?

 

[dez1978]

Think this belongs at the state level. 10 yrs old seems way too young to operate a power boat, doubt most that age are even tall enough to see over the windshield. Not an expert in this subject but seems like jet skis are probably a bit different to operate from a power boat. Think everyone should be required to take some sort of training and/or get certification to operate a power boat.

Jet skis are a bit different to operate, but IMO, probably more dangerous than boats. Well the drivers of them are anyway. You wouldn't believe how many times idiots on jet skis have just ran feet in front of our boat or directly behind it to jump the wake and come close to hitting us. And our boat isn't small or hard to see. They just don't pay attention or care. Like they just come down to the lake, rent a jet ski and take off with no understanding of how long it takes for a 35 ft boat going 30-40 mph takes to stop. Very similar to how you see idiot drivers on those little "crotch rocket" motor cycles zipping in and out of traffic at 80 mph per hour on the hwy, cutting cars off or going down the center between cars.

 

[jimmymc]

I'm less concerned about age and more concerned about the quality of testing and training. Licenses are way too easy to get across the board.

 

[dez1978]

What kind of boat do you use if you don't mind me asking?

We have a 34 ft runabout, open bow boat. Pretty small by LOZ standards lol.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I'm less concerned about age and more concerned about the quality of testing and training. Licenses are way too easy to get across the board.

Another reason for a national debate on the subject.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Jet skis are a bit different to operate, but IMO, probably more dangerous than boats. Well the drivers of them are anyway. You wouldn't believe how many times idiots on jet skis have just ran feet in front of our boat or directly behind it to jump the wake and come close to hitting us. And our boat isn't small or hard to see. They just don't pay attention or care. Like they just come down to the lake, rent a jet ski and take off with no understanding of how long it takes for a 35 ft boat going 30-40 mph takes to stop. Very similar to how you see idiot drivers on those little "crotch rocket" motor cycles zipping in and out of traffic at 80 mph per hour on the hwy, cutting cars off or going down the center between cars.

We need more state boating police in recreational areas to be honest.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

In Missouri you have to be 14, and take a safety course if you were born after 1994. Personally, I think it should be at least 16 to operate one alone. My 13 year old has been "driving" our boat with dad sitting right next to him for the last year. But only in quieter areas of the lake (Lake of the Ozarks). I wouldn't feel comfortable letting him take our boat out alone when he turns 14. I also think it would depend on where they are tho I know that could be hard to enforce. LOZ is busy and chaotic and has lots of tourists who shouldn't be driving boats and pay zero attention to anyone else. So there is a lot more to worry about than say, Truman lake or the Osage river which has far fewer people on it.

And most accidents at the Lake are alcohol related even when other infractions occur like not yielding to the right of way, not having required lights on with dusk and later, speeds (like violating wake rules), etc the alcohol is usually that main contributing factor. Hard to even pay attention to whatever lessons you were required to have if you're drunk. That goes for tourists or locals or ones who frequent it on a high basis.

TBH to me the age isn't as important as height which I know sounds weird but driving a boat requires you to be able to see high enough above it especially if you encounter choppier waters that may raise the front end of the boat. There's a reason why many drivers push themselves up on the driver's seat, why some seats are made to be both sitting and leaning back against, etc.

The other thing is boats these days are powerful monsters. Back in the day my grandpa had a slow enough moving pontoon, a speed boat and a fishing boat. We used the pontoon majority of the time. Nowadays pontoons can have 4-6 engines in the back barreling across the Main Channel. Then there's the cigarette boats, etc.

 

[dez1978]

And most accidents at the Lake are alcohol related even when other infractions occur like not yielding to the right of way, not having required lights on with dusk and later, speeds (like violating wake rules), etc the alcohol is usually that main contributing factor. Hard to even pay attention to whatever lessons you were required to have if you're drunk. That goes for tourists or locals or ones who frequent it on a high basis.

TBH to me the age isn't as important as height which I know sounds weird but driving a boat requires you to be able to see high enough above it especially if you encounter choppier waters that may raise the front end of the boat. There's a reason why many drivers push themselves up on the driver's seat, why some seats are made to be both sitting and leaning back against, etc.

The other thing is boats these days are powerful monsters. Back in the day my grandpa had a slow enough moving pontoon, a speed boat and a fishing boat. We used the pontoon majority of the time. Nowadays pontoons can have 4-6 engines in the back barreling across the Main Channel. Then there's the cigarette boats, etc.

Right? 25 years ago when we had our very first boat it was a 26 ft runabout. it was decent sized, and could handle the wakes on the lake fairly well as long as it wasn't a holiday weekend. Now we have a 34 ft boat with 2 350s and it's not big enough to handle the wakes in the main channel on any weekend with all the yachts and cigarette boats out there. Or the 40 ft center console boats with 5 450s. Some of those boats belong on the ocean, not the lake lol. And I sound so much older than 46 lol. But dang, sometimes, its just so rough it's not enjoyable anymore. Then you add in the idiots who've never driven a boat before, but have taken an online course, or the drunks, and it can be scary. We def stay away from certain parts of the lake during the "main" season.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

But what's considered a boat. Betting majority of injuries maybe even fatalities are on water bikes.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Right? 25 years ago when we had our very first boat it was a 26 ft runabout. it was decent sized, and could handle the wakes on the lake fairly well as long as it wasn't a holiday weekend. Now we have a 34 ft boat with 2 350s and it's not big enough to handle the wakes in the main channel on any weekend with all the yachts and cigarette boats out there. Or the 40 ft center console boats with 5 450s. Some of those boats belong on the ocean, not the lake lol. And I sound so much older than 46 lol. But dang, sometimes, its just so rough it's not enjoyable anymore. Then you add in the idiots who've never driven a boat before, but have taken an online course, or the drunks, and it can be scary. We def stay away from certain parts of the lake during the "main" season.

Ugh yeah it's crazy, like what is a super big yacht doing at the Lake??

We haven't been in a few years (but were going up to 5 times in the summer a few years in a row) but the in-law's boat is a 25 or 26ft IIRC and we were right by the main channel area and for the most part stuck to swimming in a cove about 2 or so coves down from the condo. But then after we would swim it could be quite choppy just going that shorter distance.

For longer boat rides we'd go out about 7am-ish (cuz no one is up that early on the Lake lol) and it would be smooth waters, it's the only time you can boat like that without having something quite a bit bigger than we have. Their boat just isn't big enough really to be in that area and is part of the reason we ebbed back on going. When you're getting slammed by the choppy waters like you said it's just not as enjoyable.

We never go Memorial Day weekend for the reason of it being so busy and the kick off to the season. We would however go on Labor Day weekend which was significantly less busy considering it was towards the end of the season. I don't think we went during 4th of July. Shootout weekend we have been but it was with my husband's coworkers and their house was located in a bit better area for boating without too much really bad choppiness.

 

[dez1978]

But what's considered a boat. Betting majority of injuries maybe even fatalities are on water bikes.

What is a water bike??

Here a majority of them seem to be on actual boats. Like larger boats, 26 ft +. And it's often times because of a drunk driver who hit something or ran aground, or because of inexperienced drivers who can't navigate choppy waters and someone falls or bounces up out of the seat and hits something inside the boat.

Ugh yeah it's crazy, like what is a super big yacht doing at the Lake??

We haven't been in a few years (but were going up to 5 times in the summer a few years in a row) but the in-law's boat is a 25 or 26ft IIRC and we were right by the main channel area and for the most part stuck to swimming in a cove about 2 or so coves down from the condo. But then after we would swim it could be quite choppy just going that shorter distance.

For longer boat rides we'd go out about 7am-ish (cuz no one is up that early on the Lake lol) and it would be smooth waters, it's the only time you can boat like that without having something quite a bit bigger than we have. Their boat just isn't big enough really to be in that area and is part of the reason we ebbed back on going. When you're getting slammed by the choppy waters like you said it's just not as enjoyable.

We never go Memorial Day weekend for the reason of it being so busy and the kick off to the season. We would however go on Labor Day weekend which was significantly less busy considering it was towards the end of the season. I don't think we went during 4th of July. Shootout weekend we have been but it was with my husband's coworkers and their house was located in a bit better area for boating without too much really bad choppiness.

Yeah, we tend to stay on the end from the Dam to the Gravois arm. It's much quieter down there.