Little Support For Curbs

Concern about personal watercraft accidents has prompted calls to restrict their use, both in Congress and in the Washington Legislature.

But so far, neither proposal has the support needed to become law. And rules for personal watercraft - statistically the most accident-prone form of powerboat - vary greatly from county to county and state to state.

Idaho, where laws for the use of personal watercraft are among the most lax in the nation, has seen at least two fatal accidents this summer. One on Tuesday killed a woman and injured two other people on Hayden Lake. On Sunday, a 7-year-old Twin Falls boy died when he slammed a personal watercraft into a tree on the bank of the Snake River, The (Twin Falls) Times-News reported.

Drownings and collisions involving powerboats have claimed seven lives in Washington so far this year. One, on Lake Chelan, involved a personal watercraft, said Mark Kenny, marine law enforcement coordinator for the state Parks and Recreation Commission. He didn’t have details about the accident.

Jet Skis and other personal watercraft still comprise a small percentage of the registered boats in Washington, said Kenny. They were involved in 13 percent of the state’s reported boating accidents in 1993, 24 percent in 1994 and 31 percent in 1995, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Light and powerful, personal watercraft can hit speeds of more than 60 mph. Riders are nearly always thrown from the craft in accidents, and have little protection from head injuries.

In response to safety and environmental concerns, a bipartisan trio of congressmen from Minnesota, New Jersey and Maryland last year introduced the Personal Watercraft Responsible Use Act. Among its provisions is one limiting Jet Ski use to people 16 and older. That bill is stalled in committee.

In the Washington Senate, a bill requiring a safe-driver course for anyone born in 1982 or later was introduced in 1999. The bipartisan bill went nowhere during the 1999 and 2000 legislative sessions.

The Personal Watercraft Industry Association, which fights most restrictions on use of the powerful miniboats, is calling for states or Congress to impose a minimum age of 16. The group also says it supports laws requiring certification of users.

“We know from experience that mandatory education along with minimum age requirements dramatically reduce the potential for accidents,” Larry Lambrose, the association’s executive director, said in a press release earlier this year.

Washington prohibits the use of personal watercraft by anyone younger than 14. Idaho is one of five states with no minimum age.

However, some local governments have stricter rules than either of the states. Riders in Kootenai County, Idaho, must be at least 14 to ride without adult supervision. And San Juan County, Wash., banned the machines altogether, primarily due to concerns about noise and to prevent the harassment of wildlife.

Such restrictions are rarely adopted without controversy. San Juan County was forced to defend its ordinance in the state Supreme Court, and Spokane County commissioners heard hours of testimony before limiting personal watercraft use on the Spokane River in 1997.

Even when they’re adopted, such rules aren’t always followed.

In 1998, two women were injured when they were hit by personal watercraft at Spokane County lakes. One of the drivers was 8 and the other was 12.

Ellen Ventress, who lives near Hayden Lake’s Honeysuckle Beach, said she commonly sees children riding personal watercraft without adult supervision.

“They play right out in front of our house,” Ventress said. “We see children 6 or 7 years old. One ran into our dock.”

She said the child’s father sat on the road and laughed.

“We need a law that says a child shouldn’t be on a Jet Ski until they are 15 or 16 years old,” Ventress said. “I think they should have a driver’s license before they can operate those.”

Staff writers Thomas Clouse and Erica Curless contributed to this report.