Unsupervised 10-year-olds will no longer be allowed to run c

[MikeTrin]

I find this new story just a little too strange to believe. They actually allowed 10 year olds to ride skis unsupervised???

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/...0315/1002/NEWS

The new law, signed by Gov. George Pataki in July, mandates that children ages 10 to 13 operating a personal watercraft must be accompanied by someone who is at least 18 years old on a vessel within 500 feet in plain sight of the child. The adult also must have a boating safety certificate.

[Shibby1485]

yep!! that's new york

the state where a man was beheaded on a PWC, the state where a woman fell off a ski and was hit by her friend following her and cracked her head open and caused her to lose EVERY single tooth, and i forgot what else happen last summer..

this law was long overdue in my opinion, and i honestly believe it should be raised to 16. my own cousin is a girl and got her pwc license and never drove on before and doens't even own one, so y did she get it? wish i knew! i let her drive mine with me on the back onetime... about 120 seconds later i said let go of the throttle, ur done driving my jetski...

in my honest opinion, kids don't belong behind the throtle until they are 16 and licensed car drivers. at younger ages, MOST of them don't understand physics, gravity, momentum, and that a jetski has no breaks and the steering capabilities.

granted there are kids that grew up on the water and are 10 and probably better riders than most 30,40,50 year old out there, but where do you draw the line?

as a seadoo dealer in NY, i'm constantly being asked if u need a license, can my kid drive it... when i tell them about the new law, they kinda walk out the dor bc it blows up all plans they had for owning one for their 10 or 11 year old son or daughter.

[jack]

That is what it is in FLorida. You need to be 14 years old with a liscense (through the power squadron or coast gaurd aux) or over 21.

[11]

So it means them little shits can do whatever they want when they're 9?

Minimum age should be EIGHTEEN, with a license.

[05gtxsc]

Missouri past a law that anyone born after jan 1 1984 MUST go though a boating safety couse. I think that it should be nation wide

[11]

Safety Course my ass, a LICENSE, with tests, onwater exam.

Hell even a boater's license would do the trick.

[Pale Rider]

I`m all for keeping the yougsters off of these powerful ski`s, and I can`t leave out half of the teenage bozo`s I see at the ramp, dock and seas...
Did I just leave myself wide open for 11 to comment...LOL...PR...

[gtxsc03]

As for licenses, we've all seen how well they work on the roadways. You can't fix stupid!

[tjx-rxp]

You can't even drive in NYC unitl your 18......
Delaware you need to be 16, with a boaters license and only exempts are if you were born before 1978. Can most ten year olds pull themselves onto a ski???

[gilson]

my opinion is parents should have their kids driving SOONER (off road away from others) this way, when they are finally driving in traffic, they have experience. I've been driving since I was 8 years old (hauling hay, etc. on the farm). I taught my kids to drive cars when they were 12. by the time they got their licenses, they had 4 years experience. Kids are very fast learners. I agree, though, they should NEVER drive unsupervised because they lack judgement and are easily distracted.
an 18 year old with no experience behind the wheel is dangerous, too.