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Safe Boating.pptx
- 1. Virginia Boating Safety Education Requirement
- 2. Virginia Boating Safety Education Requirement Boating safety education compliance requirement established in 2007 Phased-in through 2016 Applies to operators of: • All boats with motors of 10hp and greater • Personal Watercraft (PWC)
- 3. 10 Year Boat Incident Summary Year Number of Number of Number of Amount of Incidents Injuries Fatalities Property Damage 2003 125 85 21 $1,054,410.00 2004 150 98 20 $1,209,015.00 2005 134 89 14 $1,857,792.00 2006 136 92 23 $1,151,958.00 2007 146 107 13 $1,001,170.00 2008 95 65 17 $387,668.00 2009 136 91 25 $907,900.00 2010 105 79 15 $1,898,499.00 2011 120 97 21 $1,226,360.00 2012 95 62 14 $476,584.00 2003 – 2012 Incident Statistics
- 4. Motorboats with a motor of 10 horsepower or greater Sailboats do not have to meet the requirement unless the sailboat has a motor that is 10hp or greater (whether or not the engine is running) Personal watercraft (PWC) Canoes, kayaks, rowboats, or other manually propelled boats do not have to meet the requirement Who . . . Specifically
- 5. Motorboats less than 16 feet in length, powered by jet pumps vice propellers, where the persons stand, kneel, or sit on, rather than inside the boat. Commonly known as • Ski-Doo® (Bombardier) • Waverunner® (Yamaha) • JET SKI® (Kawasaki) Age Restriction: • No person under the age of 14 may operate a PWC. • Operators 14 and 15 MUST show proof of completing an approved and accepted boating safety course • The challenge exam or other provisions of the Education Compliance Requirement do not meet the requirements of the age restriction law. PWC Definition
- 6. Over 250,000 registered motorboats • Includes about 30,000 personal watercraft Help manage risk involved in boating Over 700 recreational boating accidents with nearly 100 fatalities (2007 – 2011) Why Does Virginia Need This Law?
- 7. Motorboat Operators shall meet requirements by: • 45 years old or younger 1July14 • 50 years old or younger 1July15 • All motorboat operators 1July16 PWC* Operators shall meet requirements by : • 14 or 15 years old if they have successfully completed an approved boating education safety course • All PWC operators 1July12 *PWC: Motorboats less than 16 feet in length, powered by jet pumps vice propellers, where the persons stand, kneel, or sit on, rather than inside the boat. Virginia Boating Safety Education Requirement Completion Schedule
- 8. Pass an equivalency/challenge exam Possess or possessed a license to operate a vessel issued by the USCG Possess a marine certificate or a Canadian Pleasure Craft Operator's Card issued by the Canadian government Possess a temporary operator's certificate as indicated on new boat registration Possess a rental or lease agreement and training documentation Operate a motorboat with onboard direct supervision by compliant person Operate a boat not registered in Virginia, temporarily using the waters of Virginia for a period not to exceed 90 days, and meets any applicable boating safety education requirements of the state of residency Assumed operation of motorboat due to illness or physical impairment of initial operator, and returning motorboat to shore in order to provide assistance or care for the operator Was once registered as a commercial fisherman pursuant to the Code of Virginia or under the onboard direct supervision of the commercial fisherman while operating the commercial fisherman‘s boat. Exceptions to Education Requirements
- 9. All public waters of the Commonwealth • River systems (both fresh and tidal water) • Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay • Waters up to 3 miles off the Virginia coast • Virginia portion of any lake shared with an adjoining state • Most of the lakes wholly located in Virginia o Some lakes in Virginia are not public (e.g. Lake Caroline and Lake Monticello) and the requirements do not apply on those lakes. o Check with private lake authorities The law does not apply to private lakes and ponds on personal property. Where Do Requirements Apply?
- 10. Complete an approved boating safety course accepted by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • DGIF’s Boat Virginia (currently offered at no cost) • U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offered classroom courses • Internet-based courses • Boat US Boat Education section for information about classroom and approved distance learning options. How To Meet The Requirements
- 11. Proctored Equivalency Exam • For the experienced and knowledgeable boater • Tests knowledge of information included in an approved course • Referred to as a "challenge" exam • More extensive than test provided at the end of a classroom course. How To Meet The Requirements cont.
- 12. Present card or certificate indicating you passed an approved course, or equivalency exam. • Lifetime Virginia Boating Safety Education Card available for $10.00 Proof Of Compliance
- 13. If operating a boat registered in Virginia, you must comply with Virginia's boating safety education requirement. If operating a boat registered in another state, but temporarily Virginia waters for a period of 90 days or less, you must meet the boating safety education requirements of your state. Non-Resident Requirement
- 14. You must provide your course completion card or certificate. If you cannot find your course completion card, the Department may have a record of your course completion • If there is not a record of your class completion and you cannot find your card or certificate, then you will have to take a course or pass the challenge exam. Previous Training
- 15. If the course was a classroom course provided by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, your name should be in the Department's student database and we can replace the card. • Request must be in writing • Fax request to 804-367-0262 or mail to: Boating Safety Education, Replacement Card P.O. Box 11104, Richmond, VA 23230. If the course was provided by the Coast Guard Auxiliary or the U.S. Power Squadrons, contact them to see if their records will allow the issuance of a replacement document. Internet course students should check with original course provider. Lost Certificate Replacement
- 16. Personal watercraft • Minimum operator age is 16 • except those 14 or 15 year olds who have completed and passed a course. Motorboat • No minimum operator age* • No minimum age requirement to attend a NASBLA approved boating safety course. * Youngsters can operate a boat under onboard direct supervision of a person who meets the boating safety education requirement. Minimum Age Requirement
- 17. Violation of any provision of this law may result in a civil penalty of $100 Penalty
- 18. A Temporary Operators Certificate (TOC) allows a first time boat owner to operate their new boat for 90 days • Allows time for the registered owner to take a boating safety education course. • If you are not yet required to take a boating safety course, the expiration of the TOC does not apply to you (refer to the phase-in schedule of the boating safety course) Temporary Operation Certificate
Editor's Notes
- Virginia General Assembly enacted a boating safety education requirement in 2007. The requirement is phased-in over several years and applies to all operators of all boats with motors of 10hp and greater and operators of Personal Watercraft (PWC)* Motorboats with a motor of 10 horsepower or greater (including boats documented by the U. S. Coast Guard) and also personal watercraft (i.e. jet ski). Sailboats do not have to meet the requirement unless the sailboat has a motor that is 10 hp or greater (whether or not the engine is running). A canoe does not have to meet the requirement, nor does a kayak, rowboat, or other manually propelled boat.
- Question 2 What boats are affected by this new law? Answer Motorboats with a motor of 10 horsepower or greater (including boats documented by the U. S. Coast Guard) and also personal watercraft (i.e. jet ski). Sailboats do not have to meet the requirement unless the sailboat has a motor that is 10 hp or greater (whether or not the engine is running). A canoe does not have to meet the requirement, nor does a kayak, rowboat, or other manually propelled boat.
- * Please note, a Personal Watercraft, PWC, more commonly known as a Ski-Doo® (Bombardier Recreational Products), Waverunner® (Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA), and JET SKI® (Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA), are defined as motorboats less than 16 feet in length that are powered by jet pumps, not propellers, where the persons stand, kneel, or sit on, rather than inside the boat. PWC Age Restriction: No person under the age of 14 may operate a PWC. Those operators 14 and 15 MUST show proof of completing an approved and accepted boating safety course either in a classroom or online. The challenge exam or other provisions of the Education Compliance Requirement do not meet the requirements of the age restriction law.
- Question 1 I have heard that the 2007 Session of the Virginia General Assembly passed a law that will require Virginia boaters to take a boating course. Why does Virginia need this law? Answer Virginia now has over 250,000 registered motorboats (including about 30,000 personal watercraft), and hopefully boating will continue to grow as a safe and enjoyable recreational leisure-time activity. Boating safety knowledge, gained through the successful completion of a boating course, provides the recreational boater with an excellent tool to help manage the risk involved in boating. Like most things in life, it is not a completely risk-free activity - in the past 5 years Virginia has recorded over 700 recreational boating accidents that resulted in nearly 100 fatalities. With boaters having more safety knowledge, a decrease should be expected in boating accidents, injuries, deaths, and property damage and there should also be less conflict on Virginia's increasingly congested waterways.
- A person can also meet the education requirements by meeting one of the following requirements: Passes an equivalency/challenge exam; Possesses or once possessed a valid license to operate a vessel issued to maritime personnel by the United States Coast Guard Possesses a marine certificate issued by the Canadian government or possesses a Canadian Pleasure Craft Operator's Card; Possesses a temporary operator's certificate as indicated on new boat registration; The law allows for: a 90 day temporary operator's certificate for the owner(s) of a newly acquired boat. This nonrenewable temporary operator's certificate would be issued along with the certificate of number (boat registration) and gives the owner(s) of a newly acquired boat 90 days within which to successfully complete a boater safety education course, or successfully complete the equivalency exam Possesses a rental or lease agreement, training documentation and completion of a dockside safety checklist as issued by a motorboat rental or leasing business Operates the motorboat under onboard direct supervision of a person who meets the compliance requirement (so you can teach your kids or other family members/friends how to more safely operate a boat) Operates a boat not registered in Virginia, temporarily using Virginia waters for less than 90 days, and meets applicable boating safety education requirements of the state of residency. Assumed operation of the motorboat due to illness or physical impairment of the initial operator, and is returning the motorboat to shore in order to provide assistance for the operator Is or was registered as a commercial fisherman pursuant to the Code of Virginia or is under onboard direct supervision of the commercial fisherman while operating the commercial fisherman's boat.
- Question 4 Does the requirement for boating safety education apply to all waters in Virginia? Answer It applies to public waters of the Commonwealth. This includes the river systems (both fresh and tidal water), the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay, waters up to 3 miles off the Virginia coast, the Virginia portion of any lakes shared with an adjoining state, and most of the lakes wholly located in Virginia. It should be noted, however, that there are some lakes in Virginia that are not public (Lake Caroline and Lake Monticello for example immediately come to mind) and the requirement would not apply on those lakes. Boaters should check with private lake authorities to determine if there are requirements for the particular private lake. The law also does not apply to private lakes and ponds on personal property.
- How do I go about meeting the requirement for boating safety education? Answer There's a couple of different ways to do this. The first is to complete and pass a boating safety course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and accepted by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. A course that is NASBLA approved will have course content that meets the National Boating Education Standards; a classroom-based course that is NASBLA approved will require 6-8 hours of time. Courses that are accepted by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries have signed a cooperative agreement with the agency to provide course material in a manner specified by the Boating Safety Education regulation. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries course called Boat Virginia (currently offered at no cost) is NASBLA approved and accepted by VDGIF, as are classroom courses offered by the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U. S. Power Squadrons. Also available are internet-based courses that are NASBLA approved and accepted by VDGIF. You should check the Boat Education section for information about classroom and approved distance learning options.
- For the experienced and knowledgeable boater, a proctored equivalency exam will be available in the summer of 2009. This exam will test the knowledge of information included in the curriculum of an approved course without the benefit of having taken a full course of instruction. Equivalency exam is often referred to as a "challenge" exam since you are actually challenging the need to take a full course through the assumption that you already possess the experience and knowledge to be a safer boater. It is important to note that an equivalency exam tends to be more extensive than the test that is provided at the end of a NASBLA approved classroom course. Once you have met the requirement, you may choose to purchase an optional Lifetime Virginia Boating Safety Education Card. This card is available for a $10.00 charge and will provide you with a durable, hard plastic, credit card style wallet card. Click here for more information.
- Unless you fall into one of the exemption/exception provisions and be able to verify that you should be included in the exemption, you must be able to present to the officer a card or certificate that indicates that you have completed and passed a NASBLA approved boating course, or that you have passed the equivalency exam. DGIF developied an optional Virginia boater education card that is available to those boaters who comply with the boating safety requirement and who want something more durable and long-lasting than their course completion cards or other compliance documents. There is a $10.00 fee associated with the optional cards. Please note, once you complete a course, you do not have to "register" with the agency. Just remember to keep your course completion paperwork onboard with you. The Department has an optional Lifetime Virginia Boating Safety Education card available to those boaters who comply with the boating safety requirement and who want something more durable and long-lasting than their course completion cards or other compliance documents. There will be a $10.00 fee associated with this card. Click here for more information.