With less than six months to go before Hawaii’s new mandatory education law for boaters is to be enforced, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) informs boaters there is still ample time and multiple ways to become compliant.
Beginning Nov. 10, all individuals who operate a motorized vessel in state waters must have taken a boating safety course and be able to show proof of certification. The rule applies to all boaters unless they and/or the vessels being used fall under one of the exemptions mentioned in the new rule.
The text of this Mandatory Boater Education Rule can be accessed online at http://files.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dobor/rules/amend/Amend-13-244-15-5.pdf. Any person violating this rule shall be fined not less than $50 and not more than $1,000 or sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or both, for each violation. The court may also prevent an individual from operating a vessel in state waters for up to 30 days.
DLNR has worked diligently to create multiple methods for complying with the requirement.
There are three Internet courses that are fully approved, with one being offered free of charge. Classroom courses are being offered statewide by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Two U.S. Power Squadrons are offering classes on Oahu. In the next few months, numerous other course providers across the state will start to offer additional classes and DLNR will launch its own home study course.
In addition, those who already took a course approved by the National Association of Boating Law Administrators can take abbreviated courses, free of charge, to become compliant.
A question-and-answer publication posted by the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) is available at http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dobor/mandatory-boating-safety-education-qa/. Full details about all the compliance methods are posted at this site.
A study released in 2007 by the National Association of Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) showed states with the longest history of mandatory education had the lowest boating fatality rates. For most of the boating safety community, this study was conclusive evidence mandatory boating education saves lives, say state officials.
Hawaii ranked fifth on the list of highest fatality rates in the year the study was finalized. In 2011, Hawaii had a fatality rate of 44 per 100,000 vessels, second worst in the nation.
“A little bit of education and training can go a long way toward saving lives and preventing accidents. This is why the department initiated its Mandatory Education Rule,” said DLNR Director William J. Aila Jr. “… A boating safety course raises your awareness of your responsibility as a boater. All vessel operators should keep a constant watch and, beyond that, post an additional lookout to help scan the horizon whenever possible.”
