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L/FOG Temp: 37 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Friday, December 6, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend December 5, 2002 Boaters will now have to pass a test By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Oregon’s answer for putting smarter and safer drivers at the helms of its 200,000 pleasure boats will start up next year — and thousands of younger boaters have little time left to prepare for it. The state’s first mandatory boater-education rules go into effect Jan. 1, when people 15 to 30 years old will be required to pass a boating test and carry a boater-ed card to operate any boat with a motor larger than 10 horsepower. Kids ages 12 to 15 must pass the test and carry a card to operate any size powerboat beginning Jan. 1, and adults supervising the young operators also must have the card. And for the first time in Oregon history, all kids under 12 will be banned from operating any sized powerboat on public waterways. The program is designed to ensure that boaters know basic rules of the water and safety issues before operating powerboats. Studies show that unschooled operators are five times more likely to be in an accident than those who complete an education program. The rules are part of a phased-in schedule that will make boater-ed tests and cards mandatory for all ages by 2009. The boater-ed program began under a voluntary basis last year. Already, about 47,000 of Oregon’s estimated 250,000 powerboat drivers have passed their tests and received their cards, says spokesman Randy Henry of the Oregon State Marine Board, which oversees the program. Henry estimates that 14,000 to 15,000 people fall under the mandatory group for 2003, and only about half have earned their cards. Oregonians knew of the phased-in rules for more than a year, but boaters seem to be coasting along, uninterested in learning despite newsletters and extensive media reports. "I don’t think people are thinking about it at all," said Kendra Callahan, the Marine Board’s boater-education coordinator. "I don’t know if it’s because the non-procrastinators have already done it or that people aren’t thinking about boating and are thinking about the holidays now." But word likely will start circulating next month when winter boaters start getting $75 tickets for not carrying a boater-ed card, Callahan says. She also expects a rush for courses and tests next spring just before the traditional Memorial Day start of the summer boating season. The program was ordered by the 1999 Oregon Legislature. Similar programs exist in 27 states and in Canada, yet Oregon had relied on boaters to teach each other the rules of the waterways and the tricks of the trade until now. Beginning in 2004, all boaters 40 and under must have their boater-ed card in their possession when operating a boat. An estimated 33,000 more boaters fall under that category, Callahan says. By 2006, boaters 50 and under must have the card, and that age bracket contains an estimated 63,000 Oregon boaters, she says. Passing the test requires a good working knowledge of Oregon boating laws, and experienced boaters who regularly operate under these rules should be able to pass. For other regular powerboaters, studying the rules in the Oregon Boater’s Handbook or on the Marine Board’s Web site ( www.boatoregon.com ) may suffice. But Callahan says her agency recommends boaters take one of several boater-ed courses available through local colleges, Coast Guard auxiliaries or private firms. "That’s our preferred option because the people who take those courses come out knowing more," Callahan says. Tests are also available as part of the courses as well as via Marine Patrol offices and through the Internet. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S