Police launch NSW, Victorian jet ski crackdowns
Unsafe behaviour a target of attention as authorities launch campaign against unruly PWC operatorsPolice in two states have launched major crackdowns on jet skis, with NSW Police praising the level of compliance in the last week while Victorian authorities handed out 120 infringement notices.
“Today saw our operations campaign in the north check 321 vessels, including nearly 120 PWCs [personalised watercraft],” NSW Police said in a statement released on social media yesterday. “It is fantastic to report a 93 per cent compliance rate.”
Meanwhile, Victoria Police said it had handed out 120 infringement notices to jet ski users between December 27 and January 3, pinging operators for venturing into no-boating zones, speeding and “other safety-based offences”.
NSW Police targeted jet skis and boats in Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie as part of Operation Ride Safe at the weekend in what it said was a zero-tolerance crackdown on safety.
In Victoria, Operation Jetwash launched with the aim of sending a clear message that police would not tolerate unsafe behaviour on the water.
“Jet skis are heavy pieces of machinery operated in the water environment and are capable of reaching high speeds. Their safe operation is completely within the hands of the user,” Victoria Police Senior Sergeant Alistair Nisbet said.
“Therefore, when jet skis are not used in a safe manner they are capable of seriously injuring,” he said.
“Users need to ensure they obey ‘no boating’ zones or ‘swimming only’ zones, with both exclusions and reduced speed limits applying to particular areas around Victoria.
“It is also critical that operators of personal watercraft understand their obligations of distance from shore, people and vessels and that PWCs, along with the operators, are to be equipped with the necessary safety equipment.”
Safety margins
In Victoria, a PWC user must ensure they are carrying their endorsed licence, wearing a lifejacket, using an engine kill switch lanyard, carrying a waterproof floating torch, and carrying an EPIRB emergency beacon if travelling more than two nautical miles offshore.
Maritime Safety Victoria also recommends users carry a phone and a personal locator beacon so they can call for help when needed, and to wear protective clothing.
In NSW, PWC operators are required to wear a life jacket and are only advised to wear a kill switch lanyard. The craft must also display a “PWC behaviour label” in a visible area if any people other than the PWC’s owner use it.
The state also has rules in place that effectively make it illegal for PWC operators to travel in anything other than a straight line until they are at least 200 metres from the shoreline.
In Victoria, a PWC can be ridden at night as long as it shows the appropriate lights. In NSW, PWCs can only be ridden in daylight.
For more information, visit NSW Roads and Maritime Services, or Transport Safety Victoria.
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