Rogue riders of personal water crafts, such as jetskis and power skis, face on-the-spot fines in a crackdown by Transport Safety Victoria (TSV) over the ANZAC Day long weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The blitz is part of a wider TSV campaign to push the safety message and address public concerns over the conduct of some PWC operators.
Riders caught breaking the rules will be fined by Water Police who have recently been patrolling hotspots across St Kilda, Port Melbourne, Williamstown, Altona, Brighton, Beaumaris, Seaford, Patterson Lakes/Carrum, Frankston, and Lake Eildon.
TSV maritime safety director Peter Corcoran said while the majority of riders behaved responsibly, it was a minority that gave all personal water crafts (PWC) operators a bad name.
PWC manufacturers and riders have developed a responsible riding code of conduct to address community concerns over safety and encourage all riders to comply with this code.
“You have to make sure you’re not riding too quickly or too closely to someone else. Given that PWCs weigh more than 300 kilograms and can reach speeds of 100 km/h in less than 10 seconds, a crash could be fatal.” Mr Corcoran said.
“It’s vital to keep a good lookout. We’re seeing people leap over waves, not realising someone else is on the other side, or taking a sharp turn directly into someone else. Make sure you’re not one of the minority rogue riders by signing up to the Code.”
Boating incident experts liken a PWC crash to two motorbikes colliding – riders have suffered broken bones and in some cases, life-altering injuries. There were 10 collisions in December/January, three of which resulted in serious injuries – a substantial increase on five collisions in 2015-16 and one in 2014-15.
“To combat this trend, we are putting more resources into compliance. Riders, and all those on or being towed by the PWC, must wear a lifejacket, keep their distance from others, travel at a safe speed and keep a good lookout at all times,” Mr Corcoran said.
Speed and distance rules apply on all waters - 5 knots within 50 m of other vessels or swimmers (for all waters); 5 knots within 200m of the shore in coastal and enclosed waters (this includes the bays); 5 knots within 50m of water's edge on inland waters.
Find the code of conduct and more information at transportsafety.vic.gov.au/msv/pwc
