MEDIA RELEASE - Raiders have your say on life jacket reform

[mrsswordfisherman]

[Renegade460]

Sorry, but this is just more nanny state stuff. 

Think about how many people go boating and how many deaths there are, very very few. At some point people in particular skippers have to be responsible what happens on their boat.

A lot of people don't follow the current regs regarding wearing of lifejackets, maybe start policing these more.

 

ps. when I bought my current boat I made sure it was over 4.8m so didn't have to wear a lifejacket every time I was out by myself.

Edited August 27, 2021 by Renegade460

[Fab1]

Wear it all the time period.Personally I've never understood why it's such a drama to wear one of the new modern ones.

[zmk1962]

Personally I feel the current rules and regulations are ok. They specify compulsory jacket wearing for dangerous events like bar crossings but ultimately hold the skipper liable to ensure everyone is safe. As per @Renegade460’s comments what we need is better enforcement or rules with the rule breakers not additional blanket rulings. 

Also using just vessel length as the arbitrary measure is meaningless. Surely the vessel design also has to be considered.  A 6m open runabout  would have different safety characteristics to a 6m cuddy or half cabin in term of being swept or falling overboard. My half cab has close to 1m high gunnels!!!

It would be interesting to see the stats on the fatalities by boat length (and design) and if life jackets were worn at the time. 
That would start to frame the problem they are trying to solve.   

We are at risk of being over-regulated but unfortunately you can’t pass laws to prevent stupidity.

cheers Zoran 

 

[mrsswordfisherman]

39 minutes ago, zmk1962 said:

Personally I feel the current rules and regulations are ok. They specify compulsory jacket wearing for dangerous events like bar crossings but ultimately hold the skipper liable to ensure everyone is safe. As per @Renegade460’s comments what we need is better enforcement or rules with the rule breakers not additional blanket rulings. 

Also using just vessel length as the arbitrary measure is meaningless. Surely the vessel design also has to be considered.  A 6m open runabout  would have different safety characteristics to a 6m cuddy or half cabin in term of being swept or falling overboard. My half cab has close to 1m high gunnels!!!

It would be interesting to see the stats on the fatalities by boat length (and design) and if life jackets were worn at the time. 
That would start to frame the problem they are trying to solve.   

We are at risk of being over-regulated but unfortunately you can’t pass laws to prevent stupidity.

cheers Zoran 

 

Send in your comments Zoran

 

[mrsswordfisherman]

1 hour ago, Fab1 said:

Wear it all the time period.Personally I've never understood why it's such a drama to wear one of the new modern ones.

100% agree

[zmk1962]

100% will reply Donna.  Will go to the submission website a bit later -  I am distracted  by a late breakfast.  
cheers Z 

Edited August 27, 2021 by zmk1962

[Fab1]

Here's my reason for stating my comment above.

Ask yourselves this....How many boating fatalities has there been regardless of boat size,configuration,people on board etc over the years and they haven't been wearing a pfd for whatever reason?More than 1?

  In my book that's one to many and if wearing a pfd to have just saved one of those lost lives it is worth wearing one all the time for me regardless .

  The problem is even if it's made mandatory the authorities have no chance of catching and prosecuting those doing the wrong thing.

 As long as my family is  doing the right thing there's we're less likely to become a statistic.

  That's all we can do.

[zmk1962]

36 minutes ago, Fab1 said:

How many boating fatalities has there been regardless of boat size,configuration,people on board etc over the years and they haven't been wearing a pfd for whatever reason?More than 1?

  In my book that's one to many and if wearing a pfd to have just saved one of those lost lives it is worth wearing one all the time for me regardless

Every life is precious. The responsibility to protect that life PRIMARILY lies with the owner - if that individual is not doing what is best for them to protect their life - ie applying common sense -  (or to protect the ones they have taken in their care) then no amount of legislation to pass the buck to the collective will save them. Common sense - to me that's the crux of the issue. 

Otherwise, there may just be a day where you can't step outside your front door without a helmet, because someone once tripped and hit their head.

Anyway, thanks Donna for highlighting, I'll be posting my feedback via offical channels.

Cheers Zoran

[PaddyT]

Sent my reply-over the top nanny state with its eye right off the ball strikes again. My boat is 5.4 m and is a far safer platform than a 6m bass boat but said bass boat owner will be able to hoon along at 100km per hour without an LJ on and i wont be able to down rig for kings at Longie on a dead flat day without one-ridiculous to say the least. How about Maritime start spending some dollars on new boat ramps instead? I am really not a fan of inflatable life jackets and actually just got rid of mine and replaced them with the zip up collared jacket PFD 1's (or whatever they are called now-100's i think-wonder which consultant made a motza off the number change?) . I dont like inflatables for two reasons-its a pain to make sure you service them to the letter of the law-and i know 2 guys who got fined for self servicing instead of the manufacturer  (and watch-this will get worse, it will become compulsary) and secondly i actually dont trust them-its too easy to put a nick in the bladder /the seams deteriorate- i actually wouldnt trust them in a bad situation. 

This is a bad piece of regulation-i sniff revenue raising all the way.