Mandatory license?

[Shadowcruzr]

Coast Guard Requests Authority to Require 'Proof of Proficiency'

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

By Louis Gerlinger
If approved, the provision could lead to mandatory licensing for boaters nationwide.

WASHINGTON D.C. (LNS) - The Coast Guard has asked Congress for authority to establish a "proof of proficiency" requirement for recreational boaters - which, officials conceded, could lead to mandatory nationwide licensing for recreational boat operators.

A legislative change proposal, which was submitted by the Coast Guard's Office of Boating Safety, would amend Section 4302(a) of Title 46, United States Code, which gives the Secretary of Transportation authority to prescribe regulations, by adding subsection (4) which would read (The Secretary may prescribe regulations) "establishing minimum requirements for recreational vessel operator proficiency."

California presently doesn't have a mandatory education or licensing requirement for recreational boat operators.

 

[L Hall]

There are a few fallacies that need to be considered here. One is the concept that the typical licensing function has any impact on safety. The second is the idea that any course designed by the federal government or any state agency will be comprehensive enough to teach a prospective boater enough to make a difference. The third is that the federal government has any ability to enforce this potential law.

New Hampshire, for example, is the ONLY state in the union with no adult seat belt law. If seat belt laws were, in fact, a huge safety factor, New Hampshire should have the highest auto fatality rate in the country. However, NH has a fatality rate per 100K population below the national average. Most NH drivers assume the responsibility for their own safety and wear a seat belt.

Speaking of drivers, Stand on and Give way rules are similar to the yield rules on the road. How many licensed drivers fail to yield? There are reckless operation laws on the water and on the road. Yet, there are thousands of reckless operation citations issued to licensed drivers every year. I won't even get into the number of licensed drivers who speed, including one GTBC. Florida passed a boating license law back in 1996 and updated it in 2002 for anyone 21 or younger. This was supposed to improve safety. In 2000, Florda had 46 boating fatalities. In 2004, Florida had 66 boating fatalities. I can't find a shred of evidence that boating licenses do anything more than increase the staff required at government agencies and create another inconvenience for boaters. There is also no evidence that the revenue generate exceeds the costs of implementing the program.

There are enough laws already on the books that, if enforced, would improve safety. I hate to tell you how many times I've seen someone speed by a CG boat or other enforcement agency's boat with no action taken. Worse, I've gone days boating in congested waters without even seeing an enforcement vessel. People will violate boating laws if they think they can get away with it - and they can - licensed or not.

In my opinion, the CG has more important jobs to do than create a national licensing program. In fact, the entire government at all levels should have better things to do than spend time writing stupid mommy laws that do nothing but create text for press releases. I'd rather see the CG concentrate on smuggling of all types and creating a viable plan for protecting our ports.

 

[L Hall]

Dan, the gun laws, or more accurately, the lack of them, are another good example. NH's crime rate is one of the lowest in the country. Sorry, folks, but the facts just don't support the need for all this legislation. By the time you turn 21, you need to start assuming some responsibility for your own actions. If you want to make boating safer, demand that the enforcement agencies do just that - enforce the laws alreadly on the books.

 

[L Hall]

Both of those agencies are working with the CG and have CG personnel on them. Frankly, in my opinion, they are trying to fix an unfixable problem. Boating is far safer than driving or many of the other activities that we do daily. The fatality rates have dropped over the past ten years while more boats have been registered.