Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 13, 1990 TAG: 9007140446
SECTION: SMITH MOUNTAIN TIMES PAGE: SMT-8 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: SHARON HODGE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Tuesday, Chuck Hoover told the association's board of directors that safety measures the group has been lobbying for were approved Monday by a joint subcommittee of the General Assembly. The lake association has been trying to set a minimum age for operators, along with other safety requirements for operating the specialized recreational vehicles.
Personal watercraft, such as jet skis, are becoming more popular, and they have raised safety concerns at the lake, Hoover said.
A legislative subcommittee hearing held Monday was the first in a series of three. It gave local organizations and manufacturers of the craft an opportunity to share their thoughts.
If enacted by the 1991 General Assembly, the proposed law would require jet-ski operators to be at least 16. The lake association supported the minimum age stipulation, which had been opposed by Yamaha, one manufacturer of the watercraft.
Hoover, the lake association's legislative liaison, said the association is pushing for the law to include restrictions on how close the skis could be ridden to piers. He said the association wanted a 50-foot clearance established. But the legislators decided that localities should determine the clearance.
Wording of the jet ski law also would require manufacturers to provide some sort of "kill switch" that would allow the operator to immediately cut off power in emergencies. The subcommittee has not completed its definition of a personal watercraft.
At this point, the vehicles targeted for regulation include any craft similar to a boat that allows for only one or two passengers. Generally, the operator straddles the craft, which is run from the force of water generated by its motor.
The association plans to begin monitoring "near misses" as well as accidents involving jet skis to determine the need for the proposed safety regulations.
FOR THE RECORD
published correction ran Friday, July 20, 1990
Because of a reporter's error, the Smith Mountain Times erroneously reported in its July 13 edition that a joint legislative committee had approved regulations for jet skis. Lake Association director Chuck Hoover should have been quoted as saying the legislative committee had favorably received regulations recommended by the association but took no action.
Memo: correction