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

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

What I'm getting at is there cause for there to be a national law to make 16 or so the minimum age from now on?

For the sake of your argument what are the stats related to deaths or severe injuries relating to driving by youths under the age of 16?

It sorta reminds me of ATV incidents where many of those injuries or death for the young young is related to being the occupant of the ATV either due to where they were riding as well as safety items being used. Of course driving an ATV requires responsibilities just like boating but in order to create an encompassing law applied unilaterally across everywhere as well as enforced it would be important to know.

 

[Buzz Rules]

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.

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

https://hydrobikes.ca/common-questions/

 

[dez1978]

https://hydrobikes.ca/common-questions/

Thank you.

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

Never have I ever seen one of those at LOZ, so I would say absolutely they are not the majority or prob even a fraction of the fatalities here

 

[Buzz Rules]

For the sake of your argument what are the stats related to deaths or severe injuries relating to driving by youths under the age of 16?

It sorta reminds me of ATV incidents where many of those injuries or death for the young young is related to being the occupant of the ATV either due to where they were riding as well as safety items being used. Of course driving an ATV requires responsibilities just like boating but in order to create an encompassing law applied unilaterally across everywhere as well as enforced it would be important to know.

I can't find specifics on age:

https://uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_statistics.php

https://www.helpadvisor.com/community-health/boating-accidents-and-deaths-study

https://americancanoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/RBS-Job-One-Volume-10-Issue-1.pdf


https://callsam.com/blog/10-common-causes-fatal-boating-accidents/

https://www.uscgboating.org/library/accident-statistics/Recreational-Boating-Statistics-2023-Ch2.pdf

https://www.taschnerlaw.com/boating-personal-watercraft-pwc-and-cruise-ship-accidents

https://parks.ny.gov/documents/recreation/boating/RecreationalBoatingReport2022.pdf

 

[tvguy]

Not every state is 16 for a driving a car. Like driving license rules, I thought boating rules varied by state.

Slightly OT, but it sure seems like teens are no longer eager to get a driver's license at 16, 17 or even 18. The boy next door, his parents said he didn't have time to take Driver's Education or Driver's training with his High School course load. He's 18 now and in Junior College, and still doesn't seem interested in driving. His girlfriend drives him everywhere I assume.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Slightly OT, but it sure seems like teens are no longer eager to get a driver's license at 16, 17 or even 18. The boy next door, his parents said he didn't have time to take Driver's Education or Driver's training with his High School course load. He's 18 now and in Junior College, and still doesn't seem interested in driving. His girlfriend drives him everywhere I assume.

The Uber/Lift effect.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I can't find specifics on age:

https://uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_statistics.php

https://www.helpadvisor.com/community-health/boating-accidents-and-deaths-study

https://americancanoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/RBS-Job-One-Volume-10-Issue-1.pdf


https://callsam.com/blog/10-common-causes-fatal-boating-accidents/

https://www.uscgboating.org/library/accident-statistics/Recreational-Boating-Statistics-2023-Ch2.pdf

https://www.taschnerlaw.com/boating-personal-watercraft-pwc-and-cruise-ship-accidents

https://parks.ny.gov/documents/recreation/boating/RecreationalBoatingReport2022.pdf

So if you can't find stats on age (which I couldn't immediately find either) why are you proposing what you're proposing?

Whether people think X age should be able to operate is their own opinions (I would assume most states have supervision laws related to age though) but in order to enact a minimum age you need to back it up with stats to show why that particular issue is a significant cause for accidents along with accidents that lead to death or serious injury.

It sounds like I'm arguing for a 10 yr old to be able to drive but I'm more saying where is the proof that the incident rate of accidents are caused by this allowable thing.

 

[dez1978]

Interestingly enough from the 2022 stats from MO. Only 5 crashes out of 178 were caused by drivers under the age of 16. 15 total were under the age of 21. So age seems not to be that much of a factor.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

When I said waterbike meant any form of jet ski or device where you ride on instead of within. I am fairly sure no licesnse is needed over16 and poorly enforced under. I think in all my years seen one person on thing above. I am sure if you looked up same chart for jet skis you'd find the chart above quite different.

 

[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.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Slightly OT, but it sure seems like teens are no longer eager to get a driver's license at 16, 17 or even 18. The boy next door, his parents said he didn't have time to take Driver's Education or Driver's training with his High School course load. He's 18 now and in Junior College, and still doesn't seem interested in driving. His girlfriend drives him everywhere I assume.

Parents don't push driving the same as the past (although some push it and there's just not enough interest), it's not seen as much of a milestone as it once was, parents also driving their kids around more, lack of interest in driving to meet friends the same as in the past (speaks to adjustments on social lives of the youths of today), the cost of cars and so on. There's also parental prohibiting that can stunt this as well. Father-in-law's wife although her son did have a license he wasn't "allowed" in college to take the vehicle to the college town which also severely limited his employment opportunities.

 

[Buzz Rules]

So if you can't find stats on age (which I couldn't immediately find either) why are you proposing what you're proposing?

Whether people think X age should be able to operate is their own opinions (I would assume most states have supervision laws related to age though) but in order to enact a minimum age you need to back it up with stats to show why that particular issue is a significant cause for accidents along with accidents that lead to death or serious injury.

It sounds like I'm arguing for a 10 yr old to be able to drive but I'm more saying where is the proof that the incident rate of accidents are caused by this allowable thing.

I think each generation finds a new way to be irresponsible or aragant then the last. I think laws and education in boating and pwc should be pretty universal in every state. I think boating and pwc will also be more numerous in the future because of more affordable options nowadays. It's not just a rich person thing anymore. More people with less regulation/educational requirements will most likely increase problems on the waterways in the future.

 

[tvguy]

The Uber/Lift effect.

I remember when Uber/Lift had to come up with Teen accounts because of that. Prior that, you had to be 18 to call for a ride share service on your own.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I also think you should have to have a safety certificate before renting a boat or pwc as well.

 

[tvguy]

Parents don't push driving the same as the past (although some push it and there's just not enough interest), it's not seen as much of a milestone as it once was, parents also driving their kids around more, lack of interest in driving to meet friends the same as in the past (speaks to adjustments on social lives of the youths of today), the cost of cars and so on. There's also parental prohibiting that can stunt this as well. Father-in-law's wife although her son did have a license he wasn't "allowed" in college to take the vehicle to the college town which also severely limited his employment opportunities.

My kids are now 34 and 38. They both had their licenses the minute they turned 16 because it made it easier for my wife and I for them to have their own transportation. They also went to a private school 13 miles from home. We have always had at least one spare car, going back to before our oldest was born, so there was always a vehicle available.

 

[dez1978]

I can't find specifics on age:

https://uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_statistics.php

https://www.helpadvisor.com/community-health/boating-accidents-and-deaths-study

https://americancanoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/RBS-Job-One-Volume-10-Issue-1.pdf


https://callsam.com/blog/10-common-causes-fatal-boating-accidents/

https://www.uscgboating.org/library/accident-statistics/Recreational-Boating-Statistics-2023-Ch2.pdf

https://www.taschnerlaw.com/boating-personal-watercraft-pwc-and-cruise-ship-accidents

https://parks.ny.gov/documents/recreation/boating/RecreationalBoatingReport2022.pdf

This is from the USCGBoating link. the 18 and under group is responsible for far fewer deaths and injuries than any other age group. Now that certainly could be that they are operating less boats per capita than the other age groups, but they are not greatly contributing to the problem, nor would changing the age make a significant difference.

 

[Buzz Rules]

 

[Buzz Rules]

This is from the USCGBoating link. the 18 and under group is responsible for far fewer deaths and injuries than any other age group. Now that certainly could be that they are operating less boats per capita than the other age groups, but they are not greatly contributing to the problem, nor would changing the age make a significant difference.
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I just feel that a 16 year old has more intelligence and maturity to operate a boat or pwc than someone below that age.

 

[dez1978]

When I said waterbike meant any form of jet ski or device where you ride on instead of within. I am fairly sure no licesnse is needed over16 and poorly enforced under. I think in all my years seen one person on thing above. I am sure if you looked up same chart for jet skis you'd find the chart above quite different.

I think jet skis would be considered a personal watercraft. So still not a majority.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think each generation finds a new way to be irresponsible or aragant then the last. I think laws and education in boating and pwc should be pretty universal in every state. I think boating and pwc will also be more numerous in the future because of more affordable options nowadays. It's not just a rich person thing anymore. More people with less regulation/educational requirements will most likely increase problems on the waterways in the future.

Which has nothing to do with what you're proposing. If you want more education (which most of us agree is pretty important) that should be your stance.

As far as universal rules that is tricky because not every body of water has the same risks and thus should not necessarily be treated the same. The U.S. has many different types of waters from depths, to obstacles, to terrain, to length, width and all sorts of other things. Letting states make decisions is prudent in these cases and no amount of posting videos is going to change that.