Earl,
2 of the 3 examples you cited were SMALL boat operators/passengers and
the third was struck by a boat. Believe it or not, not all boats are
this small. I'd venture to guess that most of the boats owned by
readers of this newsgroup don't fall into this category. It would make
almost as much sense to require PFDs to be worn by all citizens at all
times everywhere as to require them on all recreational boats at all times.

Trying to write an intelligent law that would mandate the wearing of
PFDs only when it would be reasonable rapidly becomes an excercise in
futile complexity as you list all the possible conditions and
exceptions. There are as many conditions/situations where wearing a PFD
on a recreational boat is rediculous as when it makes good sense. Ya
gonna list them all?

Earl Colby Pottinger wrote:

The problem is there are just too many accidents/drownings where the life
jackets are missing. Because of this the people who having to do the resuces
and/or pull out the bodies start pushing such laws.

Reading my local paper Lake Simcoe (a non-great lake in Ontario) in the last
few weeks has had the following.

Boat found, man still missing lifejackets in boat. Assumed drowned, still
looking.

Boat capsize, one man drown no lifejacket. Two men resecued holding on to a
single lifejacket.

Woman diver in training killed by boat not avoiding area defined by a diver's
flag. It is believe the boat driver (not found yet) did not even know what
the flag meant.

There were some more too. The problem is not that some people don't like to
use the safety equipment, it so many don't bother without even a good reason
not to. Example PFD too hot to wear? Get an inflatable.

Earl Colby Pottinger

--
Dan Best - (707) 431-1662, Healdsburg, CA 95448
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean"
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/TriciaJean.JPG