As we all know, the use of personal watercraft is the hottest thing in boating. The latest numbers from DMV indicate there are 141,000 personal watercraft
registered in California, compared to “just” 114,000 from last year! In Los Angeles County alone, there are over 31,000 PWC. Obviously, with the large
number of new persons riding these craft, there is strong need to provide boating safety, education and law enforcement programs throughout the state.

Last year, we had the opportunity to produce a 16 minute video on the safe operation of PWC. Filmed on location at Folsom Lake near Sacramento and Mission
Bay in San Diego, we did a lot of boating and, specifically, rode a number of PWCs and talked to many boaters who ride these craft. From this experience, I
came away with two impressions: (1) PWCs are FUN, but, (2) there are serious and increasing safety problems with respect to PWC users.

The fun part is that one can ride a small boat with little draft, be close to the water (literally), ride with your friends, manuever quickly and get there
fast. The drawback is there are thousands of persons who are riding PWCs for the first time and they are simply not aware of the rules of the road and
other safety precautions. This situation has led to a substantial increase in the number of personal watercraft accidents and injuries.

As an example, while we were filming on Folsom Lake, we witnessed one accident where an underage PWC operator slammed into two other young teenagers also
on a PWC. The PWC that got hit was taking on water and could not operate so we ended up towing the disabled craft to shore. The kids that got hit were
pretty shaken up. Lucky, though – – no broken bones or injuries.

This type of accident is absolutely preventable. How? Keep a sharp look out! Operator inattention in one the major causes of PWC accidents. Operators
should keep a 360 degree awareness of other boaters in the water and should never ride too closely with their friends — always leave a way out. Many PWC
accidents are also caused by “radical maneuvers” such as wake jumping and spraying down other boaters. The point here is: always operate in safe manner and
be considerate of other persons on the water and on the shoreline.

So, what can we do? Well, first, there are some important bills in the California Legislature that are concerned with the operation of PWCs. One is Senate
Bill 347 (Thompson), which would prohibit certain unsafe practices by PWC operators such as spraying down another boater, causing another boater to swerve
at the last minute, wake jumping within 100 feet of another boat, and night operation.

In addition, SB 545 (Rosenthal) would increase the minimum age for operating a motorboat greater than 15 horsepower from 12 to 16, with specified
exceptions. A person 12-15 years of age could operate a motorboat if there were a person 18 years or older also on board. These bills are presently being
considered by your representatives in the California Senate and Assembly and the Governor.

As your state boating agency, we are doing all we can to get safety information out to PWC users. We are presently developing a high school curriculum, our
PWC safety film is presently being distributed, and we have doubled our law enforcement budget to help aid local counties and cities. We want to make our
waterways safe for everyone. If you would like to share your thoughts with me, I would be pleased to discuss any and all PWC issues. I can be reached at
(916) 322-1821. And remember — keep a sharp lookout!

1996 California Boating Accident Statistics and PWC DBW’s analysis of 1996 boating accidents found implications for PWC safety that users should be aware
of. In 1996, 850 boating accidents, involving 537 injuries, 56 deaths, and $2,241,700 in property damage, were reported to the Department. As of December
31, 1996, there were 141,213 PWC registered in California, comprising 16% of registered vessels. During the 1996 calendar year, 385 PWC-related accidents
were reported, resulting in 298 injuries, 8 fatalities, and $508,300 in property damage. PWC account for 16% of all vessels registered in California, but
were involved in 45% of all accidents, 55% of all injuries, 14% of all fatalities, and 23% of all property damage. Other findings:

Operator inexperience was the number one cause of PWC-related accidents, figuring in 49% of PWC accidents, notably operator inexperience in operating jet-
powered vessels. Many operators do not realize that when they let off the throttle, they lose steering capacity, contributing to numerous accidents. Second
was operator inattention (47%), followed closely by and excessive speed (43%). 70% of PWC involved in accidents were not being used by the registered
owner; 56% of the PWC involved in accidents were borrowed, and 14% were rented. 69% of PWC accidents involved collisions with other vessels, most often
another PWC. In collisions with vessels other than PWC, the PWC operator was nearly 3 times as likely to be exclusively at fault. PWC operators involved in
accidents were more likely to be younger operators. The median age of a PWC operator was 24. The median age of all operators of all vessels involved in
accidents was 31. Nearly 1/4 of all PWC-related accidents involved PWC operators performing radical maneuvers just prior to the accident. These maneuvers
included wake jumping, executing donuts (360 degree turns), playing chicken, or most often, purposely spraying another vessel. These maneuvers resulted in
some very serious injuries as well as one fatality in 1996. When two PWC collided, 44% of the cases involved operators who knew each other and were riding
together. Most of these collisions involved two distinct types of activity prior to the collisions. The first type of activity, which resulted in 50% of
the accidents, involved two operators traveling one behind the other. The operator in the rear was following at an unsafe distance and the operator in the
lead made a turn without looking, and a collision resulted. The second type of activity, which caused 25% of the collisions, involved radical maneuvers
which included wake jumping, donuts, playing chicken, or most often, purposely spraying another vessel. Recommendations

The Department has completed production of a public safety announcement highlighting the dangers of PWC operators performing radical maneuvers, for
distribution to TV stations throughout California, and a PWC safety video that on the rules of the road, operating instructions, and other safety
information, for distribution to users educators, marine dealers, establishments that rent PWC, PWC clubs, and boating organizations.

The Department is creating two courses to train boaters in the proper operation of PWC, a high school PWC safety course, which will be available in
December, 1997, and a PWC practical handling curriculum for all ages, focusing on operation and safe boat handling. It is designed to be incorporated into
existing safety courses offered by organizations such as the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. Power Squadrons, marine enforcement agencies, and aquatic
centers. The development of this curriculum is scheduled to get under way in July 1997.
By David Johnson, Chairman, PWC Task Force Dept. of Boating and Waterways