The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-10-31

until April 1, 1860. 1t should be
pointed out that this legislation
encourages the several states, ter
ritories, and District of Columbia
to enact boating laws and regula-
tons using this Act as a guide
thereby assuring a degree of uni
forlnity among the states and Fed
eral government, leading to a sit
uation whereby the Federal gov
eminent would eventually be re-
lieved of most, if not all, of this
responsibility. If any state enacts
numbering legislation prior to l
April 1860, there is nothing in this
new law to prevent such state
from putting their system into
effect any time before the date
the Federal system becomes eff
fective.
2. The Act amends the Motor
boat Act of 1910 to require the
operator of any vessel involved in
an accident, insofar as he can do
so in consideration of the safety
of his own vessel, to stop and rem
der assistance and to identify
himself. Operators of vessels in
volved in accidents are required
by the Act to report the accident
to appropriate authorities.
8. The Act also provides, in addi-
ton to other penalties provided by
law, civil penalties up to $4,000
for pleasure craft and up to
$4,000 for motorboats carrying
passengers for hire may be i'm
posed for reckless and negligent
operation.
4. In recognition of the i'm
portance of information on the
Importance of information on the
problem of boating safety, the Act
directs the compilation, Analysing
and publication of statistics invol-
wing accidents required to be re-
ported.
The regulations proposed by the
Coast Guard will be published in
accordance with the Administra-
tive Procedure Act of 1916 and
given wide distribution prior to
public hearings where comments
and suggestions from interested
persons and organizations will be
heard and considered before final
PRONUNCIATION in the FEDERAL
REGISTER. 1t is expected that
these regulations in proposed form
will be ready for public distribu-
ton in October, 1868. The Act pro-
vides that the final form of the
regulations must be submitted to
and remain with Congress 60 days
before they become effective.
These Federal regulations will
set forth the overall numbering
system, the methods and proceed
ures for obtaining numbers, the
definition of boating accidents, and
the requirements and forms for re-
porting them.
In addition to all this, the Coast
Guard is preparing booklet de-
signed to serve as safety manual
for recreational boating and it is
expected that this booklet will be
available for distribution to the
public in January, 1859.
This legislation came about as a
result of the increased concern felt
by members of Congress and wide
areas of public opinion over the
mounting problem of boating safe
ty resulting from the astounding
increase in the popularity of boat
ing as a recreational activity in
the United States. From the days
before World War II when boating
was a sport of the wealthy and
outboarding was restricted to the
occasional duckhunter and fisher
man, it is now estimated that over
80 million Americans own and
operate over million boats. With
our waterways now becoming as
crowded as the highways, the time
has apparently come when there
is a real and definite need for
regulation to define the problem
and attempt to limit the mounting
accident toll.
Il