Authorities are cracking down on jetski owners ahead of Christmas in one east coast state, launching a fresh campaign to enhance water safety and ensure all riders are licenced.
Kicking off Operation Ride Right over the weekend, NSW Maritime, a division of Transport for NSW (TfNSW), said jetskis has “soared in popularity” in the state recently. They said there are now some 90,000 owners — and while “jet skis are fun” they can “still be dangerous”.
In the past 12 months, NSW has recorded 1700 jetski infringements, with the worst offending waterways being the Georges River, Port Hacking and Botany Bay.
Fines to the tune of $500 are in place for those caught riding without a licence. Source: NSW Police
Unlicenced jetski riding ‘not uncommon’ in NSW
Targeting those areas during the first wave of the safety blitz, authorities say it’s just the start of what’s to come during summer.
“We’re educating everyone on the rules, making sure that they know the rules and they stick to them,” NSW Maritime Principal Manager Shane Davey told 7News. “We know jetski riders are overrepresented in and accidents and collisions.”
According to TfNSW, personal watercraft (PWC) incidents are usually “caused by poor judgement, no proper lookout and excessive speed.”
“The best ways to increase the safety of PWC riders, your passengers and others sharing the waterways are: knowing the rules, getting a PWC licence and learning how to ride safely,” it said.
Those caught riding a jet ski without a licence stand to cop an on-the-spot $500 fine, with a 12 month suspension. “Unlicenced riding is not as uncommon as you might think, we do get a number of unlicenced riders out there,” Davey warned.
Yahoo News Australia has contacted TfNSW about the number of offenders detected during the weekend blitz.
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