US mandates engine kill switch use from April
If a boat is fitted with a kill switch, skippers must use it, US mandatesUsing kill switches that cut engine power if a boat’s operator isn’t behind the wheel will be mandatory in the US on all recreational boats up to 8.0 metres long, the US Coast Guard has announced.
The new law, which comes into effect from April 1, mandates that if a propulsion kill switch system is fitted to a boat, operators must use it.
That includes traditional lanyards that attach to skippers and that are designed to manually kill the engines, to RFID tags that will kill power once they sense the skipper is not near the helm station.
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The new law will apply to all navigable waters of the US.
“When an operator is wearing a link while underway, the engine will cut-off if the operator is separated from the operating area, an occurrence that can happen if the operator is ejected from the vessel or falls within the vessel,” the US Coast Guard said in a statement flagging the change.
“The shutdown of the engine is essential for safety reasons. If the operator is ejected from the vessel, the shutdown may prevent the operator from impacting the vessel's spinning propeller, and may aid the operator in safely returning to the drifting vessel.”
However, the device won’t be necessary for low-speed maneuvering, with compulsory use of a cut-off device only applying from when the boat is up on a plane, or is moving above its displacement speed.
That means solo boaters will still be vulnerable when, say, falling overboard while low-speed trolling.
The new requirement also doesn’t apply to any boat with an enclosed wheelhouse, and engine cut-off systems that are broken won't need to be repaired to stay ahead of the law.
The idea behind the new law is to reduce the number of injuries caused when people fall overboard, particularly from propeller strikes as the boat passes the person in the water.
The move follows in the wake of the US mandating in 2018 that recreational boat-makers fit propulsion cut-off devices to their products.
Propeller strikes can be very damaging; a three-bladed prop spinning at 3200rpm can rotate up to 16 times a second.
How to minimise propeller strike
- People in the water are often not visible from behind the helm. Look at the water around the boat before starting the engine. Count all the passengers onboard to ensure no one is left in the water
- Ensure everyone on board the boat knows where are the danger areas around the propeller and outboard engine
- Never allow passengers to ride on parts of the boat where they could fall under the hull while moving, particularly the bow or transom
- If someone does fall overboard, stop and assess the situation before acting
- Never reverse the boat to pick someone up out of the water. Always approach a person in the water with the bow of the boat, keeping them on the skipper’s side
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