Recreational boaters in Oregon will face new education requirements in the new year. It's a result of a bill passed last spring with bipartisan support in the state legislature.
If you operate a boat with more than 10 horsepower in Oregon, you’re supposed to have something called a “Boater Education Card.” You get the card by taking a safety course. When the education requirement was put in place 20 years ago, the options for taking the course were limited, so lawmakers gave people two months after they bought a boat before they had to get their card.
With courses more widely available now, including online, Oregon lawmakers agreed to remove the grace period. Now, recreational boaters using a 10 horsepower or greater motorboat will need an education card before they fire up the engine.
The Oregon State Marine Board says the death rate for boaters with the card has fallen by one-third since the program was put in place, while the death rate for recreational boaters without the card continues to rise.
The new law passed with broad bipartisan support in the Oregon legislature last spring. The measure also allows out-of-state visitors to use an equivalent card issued by their home state in order to operate a motorboat in Oregon.
According to the Oregon State Marine Board, an average of 15 recreational boaters die on Oregon waterways each year. The majority of the fatalities occur on inland rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
