Posted on 09/02/2019 11:17:42 AM PDT by bgill
A new law requires boat operators to wear an emergency engine cutoff switch or a kill switch lanyard starting Sept. 1, 2019.
So what should you know and how can this affect you?
State Game Warden Shane Lewis told ABC 7, kill switches are just as important as wearing a life jacket, and he's glad now they’re legally required. “I’m actually surprised the law hadn’t been into effect prior to this, it’s a very important law and its going to really improve the safety of boating on the water,” said Lewis. “Let’s say that you were ejected from a boat and you were not wearing that kill switch, your boat could then violently stay in motion depending on the speed that is already set in.”
(Excerpt) Read more at abc7amarillo.com ...
I don’t think I want a switch that kills me if I fall overboard!
Do all boats even have a wireless kill switch?
Had that feature on the boat I bought in 1988.
Little clip that held a button down.
Should not have to be a law. It is just a good idea.
Modern outboards have it. I would guess newer inboards have it wired in, got to be some sort of boat construction regulation.
Easy to install and I highly recommend it.
Include Canoes.
And rowboats full of hunting arms.
And they dare call it a “KILL” switch?
So very glad the government will save me from EVERY malady facing humanity! Kill switches for boating is completely unnecessary. For jet skis? Sure, makes sense. But for boats? Absolutely not. And I’ve owned and operated both.
Just more insane nanny state nonsense put into place because the do-gooders simply must reward themselves with the personal satisfaction of “doing something”.
Treadmills also have kill switch lanyards...at least the ones in pulmonary rehab do.
I had a friend many years ago who was fishing in the Puget Sound by himself. He stood up, turned and fell into the water. His boat continued on its way so he had to swim to shore (with no life jacket). Although he was a good swimmer and it was only 200 yards away, the water was very cold and he barely made it.
Surely if these are important in boats, they’re doubly so on aircraft.
If you go on YouTube, it’s obvious that the average treadmill user has no idea what this is.
Yeah, treadmills have lanyards, but it isn’t a state law that I use it... yet. And, my I/O boat has a lanyard, but thus far it isn’t a state law that I use it... yet.
I blame global warming for your friend’s misfortune.
In life, stuff happens.
On a jet ski or a dinghy, absolutely, but there are a lot of 26 foot boats where a kill switch just doesn’t work. You can’t safely operate them sitting at the helm, all the time.
Docking, for example, is usually done by lassoing a stern spring line while in idle forward. The low thrust of the engine against the pull of the spring line holds the boat stationary and pulled into the dock while the other lines are made fast.
You can’t safely dock, single-handed, if the engine shuts off when you step away from the helm.
The three main problems I see here are 1: How are they going to determine if the pilot actually has it on without detaining them, 2. how is that going to work with outboard motors and the pilot sitting in front of the motor, and 3. I have never seen a boat with the type of plug in unit in the cockpit or bridge required as a killswitch. This I assume will have to be built into the dash and programed into the computers, thus expense. Boating just got more expensive. And if the boats are required to have them, new purchases will be higher in cost until the “shine” of having one gets old and will effect resales for a while also.
rwood
Texas has unfortunately had many recent experiences with boaters who proved the opposite, ending with bystanders being severely injured or killed. Boater gets drunk, falls overboard or just passes out and falls over, boat becomes unguided missile.
A killswitch can be very simple; there are some for industrial equipment that cost less than $20 and you wire them in series with the ignition or engine control. No programming needed.
Here is one that you can buy to retrofit older engines and is standard on most recent newer ones: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kill-Switch-with-Lanyard-BR51303/203494924
Good idea or not this is just another way to tax people thru fines.
California needs to fall into the ocean, and I live here...
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