File Name: US PFD JSI NASBLA This Data Was Originally Compiled
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File name: US_PFD_JSI_NASBLA This data was originally compiled by Dr. Dan Maxim for the Dashboard project as published as a draft report in April 22, 2016. This data was compiled for dashboard use and continues to be updated and corrected by state review. A copy of Dr. Maxim's report is posted with this notation: Notes page update February 28, 2019. Some thoughts on organizing Dashboard Entries: Life Jackets Policy Group 22 April 2016 L. Daniel Maxim Some thoughts on organizing dashboard entries L. Daniel Maxim 22 April 2016 Introduction This short working paper is written to suggest ways that relevant policy data could be organized in a dashboard. To illustrate these ideas, I chose lifejacket wear policies among the various states and the District of Columbia (hereinafter referred to as “states”). All states have policies in place to encourage wearing, as opposed to merely carrying, life jackets (personal floatation devices [PFD]) on board. And all states have PFD carriage requirements. Policy differences are most apparent in the specific laws and regulations applicable to life jacket wear. For this reason, I prepared detailed tables (Table A-1 [short form] and Table A-2) found in the appendix to summarize the applicable state-by-state regulations.1 The bases for the table entries include published laws/regulations, summaries of these laws in published boater handbooks, and additional information available on the Internet.2 Important disclaimer: the contents of these tables have been developed from Internet research and published documents only and not based on direct contact with state personnel. These must be fact-checked before being incorporated into the dashboard. Any question mark in either table means that the entry is questionable. The various headings in the tables correspond to key attributes of state life jacket policy. These include: Life jacket wear requirements for various types of craft: In nearly all states Coast Guard-approved life jackets are required to be worn by all occupants of a personal watercraft (PWC), but some states also require that life jackets be worn when operating other craft. Life jacket wear requirements for youth: Nearly all states have issued regulations requiring that youths of specified ages (e.g., aged 12 and younger) wear Coast Guard- approved life jackets when underway on recreational boats.3 The specific age and other provisions of this requirement vary by state. Seasonal life jacket wear requirements: Operation of recreational craft is likely to be more hazardous during the winter and early spring months (among other reasons because the water is colder and fewer boats are out on the water, which lessens the chance for rescue by Good Samaritans). This realization prompted several states to require that life jackets be worn at specified time periods for specified types of boats. 1 Table A-1 is a shortened form of Table A-2. 2 For example, the excellent BoatUS Compendium of Life Jacket Laws, available at http://www.boatus.org/life- jacket-loaner/staterequirements.asp. 3 On a vessel that is underway, the Coast Guard established a regulation that children under 13 years of age must wear an appropriate U .S .Coast Guard-approved life jacket when on Federal waters unless they are 1) below deck, or 2) within an enclosed cabin. If a state has established a child life jacket wear requirement that differs from the Coast Guard requirement, the state requirement will be applicable on waters subject to that state’s jurisdiction. Two states, Virginia and Wisconsin, have not established similar requirements and the Federal regulation applies in Federal waters in these states. -1- Life jacket wear requirements for persons being towed: Most states require that Coast Guard-approved life jackets or other flotation device be worn by persons being towed (e.g., water skiers), but there are individual differences in regulations. Unique life jacket wear requirements: Several states have established unique life jacket wear requirements. For example, Alabama requires that each person wear a life jacket when onboard a boat within 800 feet below a hydro-electric dam and/or navigational lock and dam. Sources: The final entry in Tables A-1 and A-2 are sources available on the Internet that can be consulted for additional detail. It is important that these sources be listed and kept up to date to track any changes in the data. This working paper illustrates ways that dashboard entries might be organized and depicted. Statements, lists, and tables Some data elements are most easily explained by simple statements and/or lists provided that these are not excessively lengthy or complex. For example, as noted above nearly all states require that CG-approved PFDs be worn on personal watercraft (PWC) although some other craft are also subject to this requirement. This is most easily explained by a single sentence (refer to tables in Appendix): “All entities except Alaska and the District of Columbia require that all occupants of PWC wear CG-approved PFDs when underway. Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Vermont also have a similar requirement for persons aboard sailboards. Louisiana requires that PFDs are worn by anyone on a motorboat less than 16 feet, which is being propelled by a hand tiller.” As a second example, the number of unique areas where life jackets must be worn is relatively small, so this might be put in a short paragraph or table as follows: Several states have designated areas (based on possible hazards/risks of operation) where life jackets must be worn by all occupants (regardless of age) aboard a boat. Examples include those shown in Table 1. This table provides the interested reader with examples of areas where other states have deemed it prudent to mandate life jacket wear. TABLE 1. Illustration of life jacket required areas in selected states. State/entity Designated area where life jacket wear mandatory Alabama All persons aboard a boat within 800 feet below a hydro-electric dam and/or navigational lock and dam. District of All persons aboard any vessel in the area from the southernmost point of the cove Columbia commonly known as Fletcher’s Cove in the Georgetown Channel of the Potomac River upstream to the District of Columbia boundary line at Little Falls. Kentucky All persons aboard a boat below locks and dams on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers waterways and the Kentucky River, boat occupants must wear a personal floatation device (lifejacket) upstream of danger signs and open- diamond buoys or within 150 feet of the downstream lock and dam wall. Oregon Life jackets are required to be worn in Class III or higher whitewater rapids. -2- TABLE 1. (cont’d.) Illustration of life jacket required areas in selected states. State/entity Designated area where life jacket wear mandatory Pennsylvania On Pittsburgh District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes (only), everyone in boats under 16 feet and in all canoes and kayaks. Tennessee A CG-approved personal flotation device must be worn by each person on board vessels being operated within specifically marked areas below any dam. Utah On rivers, every person on board a vessel shall wear a CG-approved PFD, except PFDs may be loosened or removed by persons 13 years of age or older on designated flat water areas as listed in Section R651-215-10. These examples might serve as precedents for officials in other states. For example, many states (other than those shown here) have waters with locks and dams or whitewater rafting areas and similar regulations might be prudent. Graphs Graphs are another useful way to summarize information/data on a dashboard. Two examples are provided below. -Child life jacket wear requirements All but two states (Virginia and Wisconsin) have established life jacket wear requirements for children of various ages. (In waters subject to Federal jurisdiction, the CG rules apply unless the state has established a specific regulation). For example, Delaware requires that all children age 12 and under must wear a CG-approved PFD except when the child is below deck or in an enclosed cabin or when the vessel is at anchor or moored. Other states have established different age thresholds, as shown in Figure 1. As can be seen, most (approximately 2/3rds) states have chosen to adopt the Coast Guard rule (all children age 12 or younger), but other states have limited this requirement to children as young as 5 years of age (Florida and Michigan) or as old as 16 years of age (Louisiana). Youth wear requirements also have additional provisions4 (e.g., applicable to vessels of a certain size) that are also relevant (see Tables A-1 and A-2). 4 Some of these provisions are quite detailed. The Maryland policy reads: “Children under the age of 13 must wear a CG-approved PFD (life jacket - Type I, II, III or V) while underway on a recreational vessel under 21 feet in length. Does not apply when the boat is moored, anchored, below deck or in an enclosed cabin. Also, a child under the age of 4 must wear a life jacket that features additional safety precautions, as appropriate for an infant, toddler, or young child, so as to; Hold the child securely within the life jacket, including a strap that is secured between the child’s legs to fasten together the front and back of the life jacket; maintain the buoyancy of the child, including an inflatable headrest or high collar; and ensure the ready accessibility of the child from the water, including a web handle.” -3- 40 30 20 Number of states of Number 10 0 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Maxim um P FD-r equir ed age FIG.