Personal Watercraft Insurance, Steering Difficulties
Steering difficulties were evident in many of the PWC accident reports examined for the study.22 For example, a 15-year-old male was operating a PWC and his mother was a passenger. The Florida Marine Patrol accident description states, “[Operator] was attempting to make a turn south through a cut in the mangroves . . . .
He was not real familiar with operating a jet ski with a passenger. When he attempted to make a left turn he let off the throttle which caused the PWC to lose steering capabilities. The forward momentum of the PWC took [operator] and passenger into the mangrove shoreline. [Operator] received a puncture wound to the left side of his neck . . . .”
Another accident involving a mother and son on a Texas lake illustrates the consequences that can result from steering difficulties. The 24-year-old PWC operator attempted to spray water on his on looking mother, lost control of the watercraft, and the vessel hit her in the back. She died the next morning. In a Minnesota accident, the investigator wrote: “He [operator] let up on the throttle, lost ability to steer, powered up again, but too late.” Examples of investigator or witness statements on boating accident reports confirm steering problems, although the statements are not recorded in any systematic manner. Several operating characteristics distinguish PWC. It is expected that PWC operators will fall overboard as a normal part of operation. For this reason, most models have safety lanyards or “kill switches” that are connected to the operator’s wrist to ensure that the vessel stops when the operator falls off. It is also expected that PWC will roll over in the water; in effect, they capsize on a regular basis.
PWC owners manuals include procedures for up righting a capsized vessel.23 According to an international group working on PWC guidelines, in traditional boats, falling overboard would be considered the first event of a boating accident, and capsizing and swamping are also considered to be boating accidents or emergency situations. But for PWC, these are expected events; consequently, PWC are designed and constructed with somewhat different objectives than traditional boats.24
