Compulsory wearing of life jackets
October 5th 2006 22:02
Have your say on compulsory wearing
Permanent change to life jacket laws in New South Wales? The NSW govt is looking to change the laws pertaining to wearing of life jackets or personal flotation devices. Currently all vessels must carry jackets to suit the number of people on board and all people on board must wear a jacket when crossing a bar. To change the law to read “wear a jacket at all times the vessel is under way” is a little ludicrous in my view. Most devices are not designed to be worn at all times on the boat. They are too cumbersome and impossible to wear while doing many things that need to be done on board. Those devices that are easy to wear and do not become tiresome, caught up in the rigging etc. are not passed by Australian standards. A catch 22 developing here I believe.
The matter is up for discussion and I would like to know what people who use boats think. There is also an official site that you can visit to voice your opinion. http://www.nmsc.gov.au/ on this site you can down load a 30 page discussion paper and submit your thoughts. Also on Boatingoz.com you can fill in a questionaire that will be passed on.
Not all boats of course will be forced to comply, commecial fisherman and charter boat operators will be not forced to submit to this law. I can not understand why this would be so. I have worked with commercial fisherman and am myself a charter boat operator and do not feel that we are in any way superior to the general public. Yes we are better trained but that does not mean our guests are.
I was on site when a half cabin boat was towed into a boat ramp by the water police on the Hawkesbury river. The boat had sunk and caught up in the V berth were two children both wearing life jackets. Both kiddies drowned as the jackets would not permit them to duck under water to save themselves. A true tragedy where the parents believed they were doing the right thing yet in hindsight we can all be very smart.
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Comment by Laura