Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Children and Boating Safety (Part A)
When boat accidents in Massachusetts involve or are caused by children or teenagers, the community takes notice. Many state and local areas have tightened safety restrictions and impose minimum age or experience requirements for boat operation. For example, in Massachusetts, kids 12 through 15 must take approved boating safety classes before they are allowed to drive a motorboat without an adult present. Other states base education requirements on boat engine sizes.
Because boat safety is a life or death issue, these Massachusetts boating laws are enforced strictly. State officials take steps to ensure that young participants actually learn and understand boat safety, not just show up for class. Doing so underscores the importance of following boating laws. It also teaches kids to respect and welcome contact with environmental police and Coast Guard officers, who may someday save their lives.
Parents should take extra precautions whenever children go sailing, no matter what the dimensions of the body of water are or which type of craft is used. Massachusetts boating accidents have been documented on everything from rafts to paddle wheelers to high-horsepower motorboats. Parents whose children wish to go boating with friends should be sure to ask who will be driving and what type of safety education they have.
Age-Related Massachusetts Boating Laws
As with automobile operation, operating a boar demands multiple tasks and a singular focus. A youth who is easily distracted or has a poor attention span is not a good candidate for boat operation. Boating accidents can happen quickly with non-motorized watercraft due to the force of water. Accidents with motorboats exaggerate these effects. Children may not have the skills or reflexes necessary to keep a boat on course and out of danger. That is why states restrict the age range of lawful operators.
In Massachusetts, for instance, children must be at least 12 years of age in order to drive a boat, and they may do so only with a competent adult on board. This also places responsibility on the adult, who must exercise supervisory diligence. An adult who was asleep during a boating accident caused by a young boater could be held liable for damages or personal injury.
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