Quote:
Originally Posted by MAXUM
The concept of a cutoff is fine I get it, having manufacturers put them on vessels under a certain size, great idea. Making it mandatory to use them is stupid. The only application of mandatory use that makes sense to me is a jet ski because of the very high likelihood you're going to get separated from the vehicle while in use.
The rest of this is just feel good nonsense. If a boat is being operated in a responsible manner a lanyard should never be needed. In fact I would argue that an unexpected engine cut out at a good say 30-35 MPH has the potential to be even more dangerous as passengers may not be prepared for that and get thrown all over the place. Even better for a wake surfer who is literally feet off the back of the boat. Bet that transom will taste good.
I bet this causes more injuries than it is supposed to avoid.
|
I don't disagree that making it mandatory is not necessarily the route the state should take. That said, I also don't think the statement that "If a boat is being operated in a responsible manner a lanyard should never be needed." could be further from the truth.
There are many situations in which proper use of a lanyard may lead to a totally different outcome at the end of the day, even in cases where the boat is being operated responsibly; steering failure, collision with debris in the water or unmarked hazards, medical emergency, mechanical failure etc. Add on top of that the number of OTHER people on the water (many of which do not operate their boats responsibly), and the potential interactions your likely to have with them while on the lake, and the possibilities are endless.
Thats almost like saying if everyone on the road operated their vehicles in accordance with laws, no one would need to wear a seat-belt.
Lastly, in MOST boats, the transition from cruise to dead stop via way of chopping the throttle or killing the engine is not typically very violent. There are times when its more abrupt than others, such as transitioning off plane, and yes, it is absolutely more abrupt than simply throttling back, but if passengers are standing and holding on, or properly seated, no one should be thrown anywhere.