That is the ENTIRE problem. If you make a bonehead more, take a chance, speed, fail to yield, etc. in a car, your license is effected. A fine is imposed, a 7 year mark is put on your license. The officer that stops you can look your history up, ticket you, realize whether or not you have a license still, and ticket accordingly. Everyone mentions how much it would cost to get a program going. The program is already there, it is called the Driver's License Program for automobiles. Sure, you might have to pay $50.00 every five years, like you do now for an automobile license, but at least the fine system, being responsible for your actions and the like would mean a little more. Sure, you do gain some comfort the longer you are behind the "wheel", but if you start out not even knowing the basics and you never learn what is right, there lies the problem. Folks on these boards have said that most violations are the 150 foot rule, did you ever think that most of the mistakes are made by folks that don't even know the rule exists? Sure there are some idiots that just plain ignore the rules set in place, and some that have been impaired by alcohol and possibly drugs. When you pass the Motorcycle driving test, you get the classification added to your driver's license....let's do it with boats, too. Let's tie it into your Driver's license, they do with motorcycles. I believe folks realize there is little chance on the lake that they will get caught performing bonehead moves, and if they do, little will be done about it and it will not affect their driver's license. Also, the violations should affect their boating insurance (or the insurance of the boat owner) just like it does in a car. If you get more than one violation on your driver's license for a car, your rates go up. Boat owners might decide WHO drives their boat,besides themselves, if anyone. The fines need to be stiffer, $60.00 for no boater certification? Make it $500.00 for the first offense, $1000.00 for each additional offense. Loss of auto driver's license for third and beyond. Send the message out, we are serious about safety. I realize the millionaires would care less about the fines, but attaching it to the driver's license would hurt. The majority of the folks driving on the lake, it would affect there wallets and licenses heavily. You should be able to go out on the lake at anytime and feel safe. I know quite a few locals that will not even take there boat out on the weekends, and most have lived here their entire lives. Just because I have been driving a car for 24 years, does not mean that I now have a comfort zone to violate every law put on the books. I sure as heck had a better understanding of what the laws were before I was unleashed with a deaadly weapon on the state's highways. I had to SHOW someone that I could handle the thing. Also, at least you have to stay between the lines with a car....there are no lines on the lake. Hope this helps stir up some good conversation.
