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The nanny state is at it again:Transport minister eyes rule 4 mandatory life jackets

Total BULLSHIT.

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/678722

quote:

Drownings prompt calls to reform boating laws Transport minister eyes rule to make wearing life jackets mandatory Aug 10, 2009 04:30 AM Comments on this story (95) Raveena Aulakh in Huntsville Precious Yutangco in Toronto A shocking spate of drownings on Ontario's lakes and rivers so far this month has officials demanding all boaters be required to wear life jackets � a tightening of federal law that the transportation ministry said it is considering. "We regularly review our regulations and this may be something we would review in the future," said Chris Day, press secretary to federal Transport Minister John Baird, in a phone interview yesterday. Day did not say how soon such a review would be carried out. Two people died this weekend in separate drownings, and a third man died in a Toronto hospital after his speedboat flipped on Lake Muskoka. That raises the toll on cottage country waterways so far in August to an unprecedented eight deaths. None of those who died was wearing a life jacket. Though not all these deaths involved boats, both the OPP and groups like the Lifesaving Society have renewed calls to require boaters to wear life jackets while afloat. The current law, enforced by Transport Canada, says the number of personal flotation devices (PFDs) must match the number of people on vessels of any size. However, it does not require they be worn. Ontario Provincial Police officers, meanwhile, say they are emotionally drained after a grim week of notifying families that their loved ones died in preventable accidents. Const. Skeeter Kruger said that in his 35 years living in the Muskoka region he does not remember a deadlier week. "It is terrifying that in the last week and a little bit, there were somewhere around a dozen deaths on our roads and waterways in Muskoka alone," Kruger said. A man drowned Saturday evening in Lake Simcoe off Jackson's Point. Yesterday, his black flip-flops were still lying on the beach, a grim reminder of the tragedy. "I don't know how it happened but it was awful," said Kristyn Begbie, who had just walked out of her Lake Dr. E. home about 6 p.m. when a man, dripping with water after swimming 200 metres to shore, thrust a cellphone into her hand and asked her to call 911. "My friend fell from the boat," Begbie recalled him saying. "He can't swim. Can you please tell the police where we are." Emergency crews quickly reached the lake but it took them half an hour to find the missing man. Paramedics were unable to revive him. Jackson's Point resident Cathy Hastead, who arrived at the scene within minutes, said the dead man's friend was inconsolable. "He said the boat turned over suddenly," she said. "He said his friend has a wife and two little children." The men and three friends � all are from Toronto area � had been spending the day relaxing at Jackson's Point. The dead man's name has not been released. Further north, almost at the same time Saturday evening, Phillip Morden, 33, of Milford Bay was pulled from Lake Muskoka with no vital signs after his speedboat flipped in a spectacular crash. He was resuscitated and rushed to St. Michael's Hospital, where he died early yesterday. Police said the tunnel hull boat was travelling at high speed when it cartwheeled end over end. The weekend's third tragedy came hours later, when a camper vanished about 1 a.m. yesterday after a canoe overturned on Lake Arrowhead, north of Huntsville. Two men, who were staying at the Arrowhead Provincial Park, got into the canoe without lifejackets around midnight Saturday. Police believe alcohol was involved. The body of Paul Nguyen, 25, of Peterborough, was pulled from the lake yesterday afternoon. Police said he was not a strong swimmer. Most of beaches at Arrowhead were closed for the day and no watercraft were allowed as OPP investigated the drowning. John Leadston, assistant superintendent at Arrowhead, said the park has no time restrictions on entering the lake. However, he said, "people in the water at 1 a.m. ... I don't see that often." Lifesaving Society spokeswoman Barbara Byers said much of the resistance to wearing PFDs arises from common misconceptions. A recent study released by the Lifesaving Society showed 90 per cent of drowning victims were not wearing lifejackets and about 80 per cent of them were men. Many of the men surveyed said life jackets are "bulky and hot," said Byers, who pointed out new designs "have come a long way." In addition to this weekend's tragedies, cottage country saw another five deaths last week. With files from The Canadian Press

It's gone too far again... while these ideas always have good intentions, the government may step in because of the alleged Ontarian lack of common sense.

I can just see it now.... all the people taking the ferry to the islands all waering a life jacket, for the same route it has been taking for decades.

LOL... imagine, we'll all have to dance in lifejackets on the EDM boat cruises, wooooooohoooooo

My parents have lied to me my entire life... I always thought it was law to wear life jackets

The biggest stupidity I( have found in the article;

quote:

Two people died this weekend in separate drownings, and a third man died in a Toronto hospital after his speedboat flipped on Lake Muskoka. That raises the toll on cottage country waterways so far in August to an unprecedented eight deaths. None of those who died was wearing a life jacket.

Why do they even bring this up? To cause hysteria of course.

6 of those 8 drowning didn't involve any boats. How the fcuk can a life jacket law help people that aren't in a boat to begin with, FFS????

quote:

Originally posted by Intangible My parents have lied to me my entire life... I always thought it was law to wear life jackets

and you betrayed them by not wearing a life jacket on Dance2daBoat!

quote:

Originally posted by Abercrombie and you betrayed them by not wearing a life jacket on Dance2daBoat!

... which she didn't attend

Fuck yeah. I hope they make it mandatory for swimmers to wear life jackets too. Even in swimming pools. Canada would have the best swim team ever.

quote:

Originally posted by FunkyCrew ... which she didn't attend

lol



I assume the law would only be for personal watercraft and small boats (I dont know the proper word for those kinds of boats).... but would cruise boats count? Imagine getting married on one and having to wear a life jacket

quote:

Originally posted by FunkyCrew ... which she didn't attend

last year?




Fluorescent orange would not go with that cute pink outfit you wore to that event

quote:

Originally posted by Abercrombie last year? Fluorescent orange would not go with that cute pink outfit you wore to that event

lol! I didnt attend last year either... sorry...

But I have attended a handful of other cruises

quote:

Originally posted by Abercrombie last year? Fluorescent orange would not go with that cute pink outfit you wore to that event

there wasn't one last year lol?

and I'm 100% positive this would apply to small boats only - there was a recent drowning by Niagara I think? 3 or 4 dudes drowned but they went swimming into strong currents, no boats involved

quote:

Originally posted by FunkyCrew there wasn't one last year lol?

Last years was on Labour Day weekend

well, ya know what I mean!

quote:

Originally posted by Intangible I assume the law would only be for personal watercraft and small boats (I dont know the proper word for those kinds of boats).... but would cruise boats count? Imagine getting married on one and having to wear a life jacket

Why would they only for personal watercraft? It would be more important on larger boats because there are more people on them and more lives would be saved if a large boat capsized.

You already need to wear a lifejacket for a jetski or sailboard. Common sense would have it to be our own judges for safety on a canoe or rowboat. The jackets have to be easily accessible by law. For canoeists, I do see the possibility for perhaps considering a law. The only time I ever capcised a canoe is in white water rapids in the eagle river La Verendrie in Quebec, but that's understandable, and I still wear one in calm waters, even though I am a strong swimmer... but we have some limits

quote:

Originally posted by Abercrombie Why would they only for personal watercraft? It would be more important on larger boats because there are more people on them and more lives would be saved if a large boat capsized.

But whats the chance of the River Gambler being capsized.... unless a dj dropped some massive tune and destroyed the boat


But really how often do people drown when on these big boats?? Isnt it the 2-4 (or maybe a bit more) seater speed boats that are more 'dangerous'

I can understand the reasoning behind it for personal watercrafts and small boats and I'm actually surprised it hasn't been enforced a long time ago. I can't remember the last time I wore a life jacket while boating....probably haven't worn one since I was 14 or 15. It really is no different then wearing a seatbelt in a car.

It would be better to make swimming a mandatory credit in school like art, or English. Every kid should be able to attend swimming courses.

Fuck, if you are sitting in some small lagoon, fishing, with no other boats around, what's going to happen? Some random tidal wave comes from no where, and capsizes your boat?

Wearing a seat belt, and a life vest are not the same thing. If you are in a car crash, you cannot learn skills to try and prevent injury or death. If you fall in the water, and can swim, you can survive.

i think it is good to have mandatory life jackets on a boat. if people are stupid enough to not wear one then it is about time for the law to force you to wear it.

if seatbelts are mandatory because it can save your life then so should life jackets.

quote:

Originally posted by Orko It would be better to make swimming a mandatory credit in school like art, or English. Every kid should be able to attend swimming courses. Fuck, if you are sitting in some small lagoon, fishing, with no other boats around, what's going to happen? Some random tidal wave comes from no where, and capsizes your boat? Wearing a seat belt, and a life vest are not the same thing. If you are in a car crash, you cannot learn skills to try and prevent injury or death. If you fall in the water, and can swim, you can survive.

Reminds me of this:
http://www.infantswim.com/your-child/index.html

Teaching babies 6-12 months to roll over on their backs if they fall in water.

There was an interseting read in the globe and mail about it. Apparently its very controversial as some of their training methods are very traumatic to babies and it also provides a false sense of security to parents.


I do think manditory swim lessons is a great idea - however super expensive for tax payers.

quote:

Originally posted by Orko It would be better to make swimming a mandatory credit in school like art, or English. Every kid should be able to attend swimming courses. Fuck, if you are sitting in some small lagoon, fishing, with no other boats around, what's going to happen? Some random tidal wave comes from no where, and capsizes your boat? Wearing a seat belt, and a life vest are not the same thing. If you are in a car crash, you cannot learn skills to try and prevent injury or death. If you fall in the water, and can swim, you can survive.

So you are sitting in a small lagoon, fishing, with no other boats around and all of a sudden you catch a fish. In your excitment, you stand up but trip over the anchor rope, you hit your head on the side of the boat and fall over the side. To bad you didn't have your life jacket on.

quote:

Originally posted by Orko Wearing a seat belt, and a life vest are not the same thing. If you are in a car crash, you cannot learn skills to try and prevent injury or death. If you fall in the water, and can swim, you can survive.

wrong. there are times when there is an undercurrent that can suck a swimmer under and drown them. only a life jacket would've helped save them.

also if multiple people are in the water and a good swimmer tries to rescue a potential drowing victim, that good swimmer could end up drowning if he/she is not wearing a life jacket because the victim would be in such a frenzy and try to use the rescuer as a floatation device.

quote:

Originally posted by Intangible But whats the chance of the River Gambler being capsized.... unless a dj dropped some massive tune and destroyed the boat But really how often do people drown when on these big boats?? Isnt it the 2-4 (or maybe a bit more) seater speed boats that are more 'dangerous'

The Titanic was supposed to be unsinkable too.

The diesel tanks on a party boat can explode, leaving no time to find a lifejacket while your'e on fire. You'd need to jump in the water right away, and the mandatory life jacket would have saved your life, no?


I just find it stupid for laws being proposed for common sense all the time.

quote:

Originally posted by Abercrombie I just find it stupid for laws being proposed for common sense all the time.

dont blame the government for proposing laws for common sense. if people had common sense then there would be no stupid proposed laws. blame the stupid people.

quote:

Originally posted by ChemEnhanced So you are sitting in a small lagoon, fishing, with no other boats around and all of a sudden you catch a fish. In your excitment, you stand up but trip over the anchor rope, you hit your head on the side of the boat and fall over the side. To bad you didn't have your life jacket on.

And what happens when you land face down?

quote:

Originally posted by chinamon dont blame the government for proposing laws for common sense. if people had common sense then there would be no stupid proposed laws. blame the stupid people.

Agreed. What we really need to ban is stupidity, and avoid all these overbearing laws right from the start.

quote:

Originally posted by Orko And what happens when you land face down?

if you landed face up or face down without a life jacket you would still drown if you were unconscious. your chances of survival would be a lot higher if you had a life jacket on.

once again, this would all make sense if you had common sense. lol

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