By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
N.C. Rep. Fred Steen said he is opposed to a proposed bill that would require boat owners to undergo training before operating their crafts.
The Required Boating Safety Education Bill would apply only to boats with motors greater than 10 horsepower.
“I am a supporter of boater safety, but a mandatory course for owners with many years of experience should not be required to get the training,” Steen said.
The N.C. House bill was introduced by Rep. Michael Ray and Rep. Arthur Williams. It passed the N.C. House Wildlife Committee by only a 7-6 margin. Steen has joined five other legislators trying to defeat the measure.
If the bill is passed, operating a vessel without the training could result in a $100 fine.
Steen said that statewide, there were 169 boating accidents in 2007 that resulted in 20 fatalities. He said that of that number, nine of those deaths were the result of people falling or jumping from a boat.
Steen said that in the grand scheme of things, 20 fatalities is a relatively low number, and said he can’t imagine a law requiring more boater training doing anything to reduce the number.
“It’s just more government regulations and intervention for no reason,” he said. “If I thought it’d save lives, I’d be all for it.”
Steen said that if the bill passed, all boaters would be required to take the training regardless of their years of experience.
“The people with 40 years of boating experience are not the ones out there causing problems,” Steen said.
There are 5,496 boat owners in Rowan County and 371,255 statewide. Steen said he has studied the bill extensively in recent weeks.
“The more I see, the less I see the need for it,” he said.
The bill now goes to the Judiciary III Committee chaired by Rep. Ronnie Button, D-Robeson.