Older kids to wear life jackets on boats: Age raised to save lives

Draft regulations are calling for the age requirement to be raised on children wearing life jackets on Victorian water. See the proposed changes.

On board: Children wearing life jackets with a supportive collar.

Draft marine safety regulations have been released today raising the age requirement on children wearing life jackets from 10 to 12.

The change brings Victoria into line with the 12-year-old age requirement in every other state and territory, except Western Australia.

Boat owners will also be required to wear a life jacket at all times, if they are the only adult on board.

The Department of Transport’s regulatory impact statement on the draft regulations states the “wearing of a lifejacket is mandatory in times of heightened risk, such as when operating alone or as the only adult on board a vessel with only children.

“To address this issue, the Department is proposing that the regulations contain a new requirement to be introduced to clarify that if there is a person in command or charge of the vessel with only children (under 12 years old) then that adult must wear a lifejacket as this reflects the heightened risk of this circumstance.”

Over the past five years there have been numerous incidents in Victorian waters where a life jacket could save a life, including 164 capsized vessels, 112 collisions, 63 cases of persons overboard, 31 vessels swamped, one sinking and 70 floodings.

The public has until August 15 to lodge submissions with the Department of Transport on the age change and other regulatory changes, including:

BOATERS operating on enclosed waters will be given the choice to carry a GPS-enabled Emergency Position Indicating Beacon or Personal Locater Beacon or a sound signal such as a compressed air horn or marine radio with 25W output as an alternative to the carriage of flares.

MARINE radio in the regulations means a VHF marine radio. VHF radios will be required to be installed or used in the Regulations. 27MHz radios will no longer be required.

REFUELLING should only be undertaken with passengers on board where it is not possible for them to disembark safely. Similarly, the restarting of a vessel should only be undertaken with passengers where those passengers are unable to disembark safely.