![]() ![]() The 2019 legislation is named for Kali Gorzell, who was 16 when she was thrown from a boat and killed by the propeller. In Texas, the mandate is called Kali’s Law. (The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) maintains a useful database of these and other state boating rules.) In addition, engine cut-off switches are required for Personal Watercraft in 44 states. Prior to 2021, seven states already had engine cut-off switch laws for small motorboats: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey and Texas. While most small boats and personal watercraft built in recent decades are already equipped with engine cut-off switches, the new rule means all new small boats and PWCs sold in the United States will feature the life-saving device. This “installation requirement” went into effect at the end of 2019. This so-called “use requirement” comes on the heels of a law requiring manufacturers to install engine cut-off switches on all boats less than 26 feet in length and capable of 115 pounds of static thrust (about 3 horsepower). Failure to comply provides for fines of $100, $250 and $500 for the first, second, and third offenses, respectively. It applies to all PWCs and boats under 26 feet, unless they have an enclosed cabin or are not equipped with an engine cut-off device. The law requiring operators of small boats and personal watercraft (PWCs) to use an engine cut-off switch took effect April 1, 2021. Two recent federal laws aim to improve recreational boating safety by requiring the installation and use of engine cut-off switches throughout the United States. Blake regained control of the runaway boat after making a batman-like leap from another boat, which was also captured on video.īoating safety advocates hope that the new federal mandate will significantly increase the use of engine cut-off switches, in the same way that mandatory seatbelt laws have led to increased usage and made buckling up second-nature for millions of motorists. “My mind wasn’t there and I was complacent,” Blake said.įortunately, the Broussards were wearing life jackets and nearby boaters were able to quickly pull them from the water. He normally does, but after landing a beautiful five-pound bass, both father and son were admittedly distracted. ![]() ![]() The potentially deadly situation could have been avoided had Blake remembered to attach his engine cut-off lanyard to his life jacket. The video Blake uploaded to YouTube is overlayed with the boat’s GPS track, showing the dozens of tight circles it made at about 30 miles per hour. The cameras captured their ordeal in a stunning video that has since been viewed online nearly 2 million times. That was when the revelation went off for me that this was a much worse situation than just getting blown out of the boat,” Clay Broussard said of the April 2018 accident on Toledo Bend, a large reservoir on the Texas-Louisiana border.īlake Broussard had a pair of video cameras rolling when the boat caught a chine and threw the duo into the water. “I looked for the boat and was surprised to see the motor was still running and the boat was still moving. Dozens more were injured in other runaway boat accidents that could have been prevented by use of an engine cut-off switch, including boats striking people in the water and boat-to-boat collisions.īlake Broussard and his father Clay were bucked from their bass boat at 60 miles per hour, only to watch as the boat doubled back toward them like a hungry shark. Coast Guard’s 2019 Recreational Boating Statistics report published in June 2020, there were 172 accidents in the United States in which at least one person was struck by a propeller, resulting in 35 deaths and 155 injuries. This phenomenon is sometimes called the “Circle of Death.”Įvery year in the United States, dozens of people are injured or killed in accidents that could have been prevented had the operator been wearing an engine cut-off switch.Īccording to the U.S. Boats can make sudden turns with enough lateral force to throw an operator from the helm area or completely out of the boat. When this happens, torque from the spinning prop will cause the boat to go into a tight turn, becoming a hazard to the ejected operator and anyone else in the water. ![]()
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