The next time you are on one of Maine's wonderful waters whether it be in a canoe, a rowboat, an off-shore cruiser or just sitting onshore wouldn't it be great if everyone on the water around you knew something about nautical rules of the road and the importance of common courtesy on the water?
A bill introduced this legislative session will make that happen. LD 2067, "An Act to Require Boating Safety Education," requires that all recreational powerboat operators demonstrate a fundamental level of boating safety knowledge.
Maine currently has the highest recreational boating fatality rate in New England. Sixteen people died as a result of boating accidents in Maine during the 2007 season, and experience in other states shows that LD 2067 can reduce that death rate by one-third or more.
This bill was developed by a working group that included the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. Power Squadrons and its six Maine squadrons, the National Transportation Safety Board, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the Personal Watercraft Industry Association, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
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