Council supports proposed new lifejacket regulation

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has supported a draft regulation change to strengthen the regulation for wearing lifejackets.

Maritime New Zealand has a proposal to change Maritime Rule 91. The change would mean that personal flotation devices – usually lifejackets – would need to be worn at all times in boats under 6 metres in length, unless the skipper or person in charge of the craft says that conditions are safe enough to remove them.

This proposal would reverse the current rule: currently the rule requires lifejackets to be worn only when the skipper considers that there is a risk.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Harbourmaster, Captain Charlie Rycroft, says this should make the law simpler to understand and apply. By making it best practice to wear a lifejacket, the rule change will make responsibilities clearer and, in the event of an incident resulting from people failing to ensure lifejackets were worn, there is a clearer liability on the person in charge.

“The goal is to increase people’s safety in the smaller pleasure boats – where, by far, the greatest numbers of deaths by drowning are occurring due to lifejackets not being worn,” said Captain Rycroft.

He likened the proposed rule change to using a safety belt in a car: “They work best when used.”

“The regulation change would mean that people should know that it is standard practice to wear lifejackets in small open craft at all times. Modern lifejackets are comfortable to wear and are affordable, so that should not be a barrier to their use.”

Captain Rycroft says that honorary boating wardens and contracted security firm staff will be assisting with lifejackets checks at boat ramps around the region this summer.

“It will be a helpful, educational opportunity just to reinforce with boat owners that they have checked that they have enough flotation devices available for everyone going on board, and in suitable sizes where children are concerned, before going out on the water.”

The draft amendment is open for consultation until 18 December and has already been extensively discussed by the National Pleasure Boat Safety Forum. The Harbourmaster would expect any final law change to have a national publicity campaign publicising it.

The Council also supported an amendment to allow the Director of Maritime New Zealand to nominate reserve areas for specific activities in waterways, such as Lake Waikaremoana, where Regional Council navigation safety bylaws do not apply.