摘要: |
As a professional mariner and business owner, I am committed to safety. The safety of my passengers and crew are at the forefront of how I approach my job each day. Crew training and drills are particularly important. These two items are a given and what we do as professionals. Those of us who work on the water witness a variety of unsafe activities from recreational boat operators. Most of the unsafe actions are the result of inexperience and a lack of knowledge of the rules of the road. There are many instances in which professional mariners compensate for or avoid boaters' dangerous behavior to prevent problems and injuries. Similar to commercial vessels, recreational boats are required to have life vests on board. This is a smart requirement. Life vests have been proven to save lives in emergencies. But there is one group of boaters who ply most U.S. waters who are not required to have life vests on board - racing sculls. Recently, there was an accident involving a racing scull in which one of the student athletes was killed. Would he have survived if a life vest was required on the scull? |