Mandatory Kill Switch Use- anybody else see this??
 

I just saw this over on TheHullTruth.

https://www.thehulltruth.com/boating...witch-use.html

Our wonderful legislatures slipped this into the latest spending bill. I'm not opposed to kill switches, and I think I am smart enough to know when I need one and when I don't. I guess the end is near. I keep hearing this with the new administration. I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.

Almost impossible to enforce. Lanyards right next to controls. I think when they say "covered vessel". They would be referring to a "cabin" on a boat? It is very sneaky how they slipped this in. It makes you wonder what else they would be willing to try to get by us.

I have no issue with it. And I do see it as hard to enforce actual usage. But you better have it on the boat. It's kind of like if you happen to have an open beer near the driver's bolster and you get pulled over and boarded. As it's starting, you slide the beer over to a passenger. And you clip your lanyard on IF you don't have it on already. But once you are on plane, there is no reason for the driver/throttleman NOT to have it on.

I think if this does come into law; it's primarily going to be used to be enforced after an incident which a kill switch could have prevented property damage, injury, and/or death, to show the operator of the boat showed negligence in operation for not using the kill switch.

In Michigan it is legal to drink a beer while driving! You just can't be drunk. I also have no problem with this lanyard thing being a law. It's already the "law" in my boat.

I do not have a problem wearing a lanyard for a kill switch, however I do take offense in being told I have to wear it. The unfortunate thing is that our elected government gets away with hiding so much pork into a bill that is headed as a spending bill. This is not new and has been going on for years, (Seatbelt Laws), hopefully the public will remember things like this when they cast their votes in future elections.

I get where you are coming from, but it's not about ONLY your safety. It saves lives, yours, and others, just like seatbelts in cars; which has been law in all 50 states and beyond for years. Motorcycle mandatory helmet laws are really the only mandatory safety devices for YOUR protection, and no one else.

Boats, are really the only major vehicle category where an operator could become disabled, dislodged, or ejected, and the throttle still stays applied.
Such has been known to hurt, maim, and kill may people as a secondary incident.

Pardon the tangent, but follow along:
In theory, even you wearing your seatbelt in your car save my life; (just like the lanyard).
1) It prevents you from being ejected out of your vehicle and becoming a projectile. A projectile that could cause bodily harm or more.
2) It prevents you from becoming "something" I have to avoid with evasive action with my vehicle, after you've been ejected.
3) It could provide you the security to regain control and avoid a secondary impact (with my vehicle), if you have your seatbelt on, and stay conscious behind the controls (instead of displaced), you could potentially apply braking or steering inputs to avoid a secondary incident.

I always wear mine on plane in the big boat. Never do in the little boat but when the kids are driving the little boat I hold onto it so that I can pull it if something weird happened

Just more government rules and regulations because us peasant just can`t think for ourselves and we need to be told what to do at every step.
Some welcome it , I call those people sheeple.
Some people would welcome a law that says you have to stay in your house so you don`t get hurt or hurt others in a car, bike atv, boat , etc etc accident.
I refuse to give up my liberty for a little security. Life is tough, people die, facts of life .
Ive gotten many tickets but I`ll never wear a seat belt. My choice.

Follow along , real life .
My buddy was in a head collision, passenger wasn`t wearing a seat belt got ejected walked off with minor injuries .
My buddy stayed stuck in the car behind a seat belt and will never be the same again.

I prefer to make my own life choices, if I don`t wanna wear a seat belt, why does my freedom stop where your fear begins? It doesn`t sorry

But if you are ejected from your boat at high speed, or any speed for that matter, that boat will continue on until it hits something if a cut-off lanyard is not worn. It could also mean the difference between folks floundering in the water vs. being able to swim back to the boat. I don't see why any boater has a problem with this being a law. The seat belt comparison is invalid. The lanyard law protects others from a runaway boat.

There is always that one story, that is an outlier. I've heard many. But it's not the majority of cases.
I was a FF/EMT for 10 years, and my Dad did it for 20. In ALL those years, neither of us has cut a dead person out of a seatbelt. They were alive every time we got there; had a chance.
But I have put brain matter in a plastic bag, and washed of the remains with a fire hose.

I worked with a very eccentric guy named Frank years ago, big guy, loud, funny as hell.
He always swore he'd never wear a seatbelt because he wanted to "jump out" before an accident happens. He said he drove his Eldorado with his hand on the door handle, and felt he could also kick the door off the hinges, and ride it out of there like a sled. He made work interesting! This was Government Contracting work for the Intelligence Community. We are still not sure how he kept his clearance. :D

My brother had to call USCG this last summer for a boat without passengers circling in the North Channel of the St Clair river. I thought all these people that come up with this stuff believed in evolution, where does thinning of the herd come in? It's time to take the warning tags off of hair dryers. If your dumb enough to use it in the shower, you'll learn. It's like the law they tried to pass to put holes in buckets so kids wouldn't drown. My granddaughter is only 2 and she knew as soon as she was old enough to walk, not to put her head in to a bucket of water. You can't legislate common sense. I've done some really crazy things on the water and I know enough if I'm feeling crazy to put on my impact rated jacket and buckle it up and connect the lanyard. Hitting the water at over 70 tends to rip apart regular jackets, don't ask how I know that.

Covered vessel = boat less then 26 feet

I have said as a sort of joke for years that we should get rid of seat belt laws, anti lock brakes, air bags, skid controls etc. Learn that if you mess up you can get hurt.

Or make everyone ride a motorcycle for 2 years, you learn to drive defensively or die.

Again this is a joke but sometimes I do think to many drive with no fear of getting hurt.

I make my living looking at and reviewing wrecks all day long, I understand both sides of the coin, yes there are always the stories of someone who walked away. The point I make is, it is your responsibility to be in control of your vehicle (car, boat, plane, etc.) and take responsibility for your passengers. Today many drivers rely on ADAS systems to a fault. People think you can drive un-responsible because if something happens, kill switches, airbags, seatbelts and avoidance systems are the answer. Yes they all can help during the unexpected, however common sense and responsibility should come first. Passing a law does not insure either.

1000`s of new laws get passed every year, nanny state laws like turn on your headlights if your wipers are on.
How about you build me some roads and schools and whatever other essential service that are needed, protect the border and stay the hell out of my life . I want less government involved in my life , not more.

in Louisiana its a low to have a kill stitch hooked to you on a tiller handle powered boat. its easy to see and people get tickets all the time.

I have worked for the Feds for almost 30 years. Trust me when I say nothing is done so poorly that the Federal government can't do worse. I see it on a daily basis.

Insurance Lobby is the third-largest lobbying group (by money spent) in the US. THAT's who you thank for this piece of legislation.

My first thought would be this is pushed by insurance companies. In the event of an accident that results in significant pay out$$$$$, this gets insurance company off the hook. No kill switch=no pay.

It would be near impossible to prove non-compliance as the clip could come off your clothing/body without tripping the cut-off.

I always wear a lanyard because a TS boat can spin out at any given moment without warning at any speed and pitch everyone over board.......:bong:

May be. This is also part of my "trust no one" attitude that seems to be creeping in. Side note....I do wear mine any time I'm on plane.

Easy to say when you're surrounded by airbags.

A Ron White moment maybe

Insurance is about actuarials. It doesn't have to help them every time, just a percentage of the time that is worth the cash they crammed in the legislator's pockets to do this. Witnesses, accident investigations (switches engaged?) lanyard broken, clothes torn, etc.etc. It's all about the transfer of negligence AWAY from them and onto someone else, or some exclusion in the policy(not wearing a lanyard) to not pay the claim at all. "Safety" is the buzzword--because...how are you going to argue with 'safety'?

this

Yep. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/46/4312

46 U.S. Code § 4312 - Engine cut-off switches

(d)Definitions.—In this section:
(1)Covered recreational vessel.—The term “covered recreational vessel” means a recreational vessel that is—
(A)
less than 26 feet overall in length; and
(B)
capable of developing 115 pounds or more of static thrust.

Not really true. You have to thank the politicians who are willing to take the gain from the Insurance Lobbyists. Lobby Groups might bait the trap, but greedy politicians grab it.

I think everyone should use a lanyard/kill switch. Don’t know that it needs to be a law, but if so why 26’ and under?? I have a 27’ Powerquest. I’m exempt? That makes as much sense as by law I have to wear a seat belt but do not have to wear a motorcycle helmet!

Some laws are good, some aren't, to cast a blanket over their entirety is short sighted. I have no problem with a lanyard law, I've never not worn one. However using an ounce of water in my washing machine to get clothes clean is utter baloney. What's the point of a washing machine that doesn't use water or get your clothes clean? Over-reach for sure.

Key point, people think its politicians driving these laws when it's really the very system these people seek to defend with lobbying making a mockery of it. I'm in the building trades and the amount of ridiculous codes being introduced are direct result of lobbying efforts and yes...fire codes (I know I know). And don't get me started on new energy codes...ALL lobby driven. You gotta look past the obvious and dig into the details of this stuff.

All for the insurance company. Think your rate will go down? I think not.

Bingo ! Gold Star, Now Y’all have the root of the problem. Has anyone tried getting insurance on "High Performance" Boats lately? I was questioned for 15min on the phone about my background, ownership history, and use of the boat. This is just the Government giving to the big insurance company supporters. Wear it or don't, but if you don't you can expect to pay out on the lawsuit and continue to pay the lender back for the boat loan since you were dropped.

as Sherman potter would say. ‘horse hockey!’

lol. I'll never buy another front loader. Always use the heavy duty cycle and don't overload it.

Kill switch solution
 

I’m not a huge fan of kill switch lanyards either.
with a single engine boat a lanyard wasn’t too bad. But when I get a twin engine boat i didn’t like having to connect 2 lanyards, so I went to west marine an got a wireless kill switch. It works great. If I get thrown overboard or walk 20 feet from my boat engines cut off.I wear a watch ban sensor that connects me to my boat the switch is made by Fell Marine.

My boat is a twin and has a single lanyard, I use one of the wrist straps. The only issue I have is forgetting its on and sometimes walking to get a rope and pulling it out.

Haha know that feeling. It always happens when there’s a ton of people that are trying to help to check your boat out and you are just too far away from the dock to play it off like a Captain Ron move and you have to scramble back to restart the boat.

I think we've all done that!