COAST GUARD DEVELOPS MANEUVERING RULE TO REDUCE COLLISIONS

Boating accident statistics show that 66% of reported collisions involve vessels less than 21 feet in length. In light of the large percentage of smaller craft involved in collisions and the fatalities resulting from these collisions, the U.S. Coast Guard's Office of Boating Safety is developing a safe maneuvering regulation that will likely be applied to all vessels less than 21 feet in length. The regulation would require that all vessels propelled by waterjet, outboard, sterndrive or inboard engines meet specified minimum maneuverability standards. As a first step in the development of the regulations, maneuverability tests are being conducted at a recreational boat testing facility. The goal of the testing is to formulate a test procedure that is not overly restrictive but that will properly demonstrate that a vessel has the capability to maneuver to avoid a collision. Once suitable test parameters are defined, the Coast Guard will solicit comments on the draft regulation as the next step toward developing a final rule. The Coast Guard hopes to substantially reduce the number of boating collisions and thereby reduce the resultant death and injuries.