With summer rapidly approaching, many people find themselves looking for recreational opportunities on various waterways. In 2020, the Coast Guard reported 5,265 boating accidents that involved 767 deaths, 3,191 injuries, and approximately $62.5 million of property damages resulting from recreational boating accidents. Sadly, these numbers represent a 25% increase in fatalities from 2019. According to Coast Guard statistics, 77% of these fatalities occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction. With that in mind, we headed out to Oneida Lake Boat Rentals in New York to interview General Manager Pete Rich to find out some of the many benefits of boating safety education and getting your boat safety card.
Boater Education Saves Lives
Boater safety education makes sense for all boaters regardless of age. Rich cites the above statistics citing education as “the single most important factor in reducing water accidents and injuries.” He observes simply that “the more you know about boat safety, the more fun you will have on the water.” He adds, “even if you are in one of the few states that don’t require it, you still have a responsibility to learn about boat operation, communications, navigation, and life-saving techniques before you get out on the water.” He continues, stating, “all of this and more is included in the easily accessible, and free boater education resources offered throughout the country.”
Improve Your Practical Knowledge
Lessons learned while earning a boater safety certificate are applied each time you reach the water. Boater safety courses cover the basics of boat handling, understanding weather signs, and explaining topics like navigation, specifically right-of-way on the water. Rich notes, “the basic courses provide lessons that provide a great foundation, they are covering things like safety and operation of the craft, but you don’t have to stop there. More advanced courses are available, and they are quite valuable, plus you are gonna meet some great people with tons of experience.”
Holding A Boat Safety Card May Reduce Your Insurance Premium
Many insurance companies offer discounts on premiums to boaters who completed accredited boating safety courses. Taking a boater safety course can save you money for years to come, according to Bankrate.com, boating safety certificate holders save up to 5% off their premiums. Simply check with your insurance company to find out your eligibility for discounts.
In Many States, It Is The Law
As previously referenced, most states now require some level of boater education. Rich notes that boater education requirements continue to tighten across the country, and recommends the American Boating Association’s website as a great resource for determining the requirements in your state. Avoid expensive boating without license fines by keeping your license and registration paperwork onboard. In New Jersey, for example, operating a boat without a safety certificate costs a minimum of a $100 fine and goes up to $500. States have different penalties, you can easily avoid them by completing a boater safety course.
Boat Safety Card Serves As Identity
Most people think of a driver’s license or passport as the only accepted form of personal identification as they display your name, contact information, and a picture officials use to compare to the person presenting it as identification. Yet Rich explains that “many people don’t bring this type of identification with them out on the water out of fear of losing it.” He adds, “this is fair as things have a way of dropping in the water, but your boating license also displays your contact details, and it can be used as identification if you are badly injured in a boating accident and cannot communicate with first responders.”
Emergency responders often search for identification and a name and address helps locate and contact family members and allows hospital staff to begin the admission process. Rich explains, “I’ve seen this save a life when precious minutes were saved by using the boater’s safety certificate to determine a person’s identity and paramedics were able to find out about an important allergy quickly.” He concludes by saying, “you’d just be surprised at how many people head out onto the water with no form of identification, boater safety cards are cheaper to replace than a driver’s license, so at least take that.”
Increasing your boating knowledge has many benefits. You will learn how to tackle difficult situations, prevent accidents, or avoid costly mistakes. Many organizations offer a variety of boater education courses in various formats like online, classroom, and video. Here are some resources to start:
- U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
- U.S. Power Squadrons
- National Safe Boating Council
- Boat-Ed
- Boat Safe
- Safe Boating America
- Mariner’s Learning System