Riding a personal watercraft, such as a JetSki, can be incredibly fun. It’s also an activity that people often engage in when they’re on vacation. They may not own a personal watercraft – or any type of boat – because they wouldn’t use it often enough, but they will rent one for the day as a fun event.
Unfortunately, this can lead to personal watercraft operators who make significant mistakes. They don’t have much experience, they may not have any training, and they will commit errors that more experienced riders would never make. This can lead to serious accidents and injuries, so it’s important to know how it can happen.
A boat doesn’t have brakes
In essence, the mistake is that people think of their watercraft like a car. When they’re coming up to the shore or to the dock – or when they are approaching swimmers or another watercraft – they will try to slow down. They’re used to pulling into a driveway or a parking spot in a car, where they can just press on the brakes and stop almost immediately.
However, a boat doesn’t have brakes and isn’t designed like a car. The only propulsion on a personal watercraft pushes it forward, and the friction of the water slows it down to come to a stop. This means that the rider needs to slow the watercraft long before they actually need to stop, giving themselves time to drift.
An inexperienced rider isn’t going to realize that they need to slow down until the last second when they suddenly realize that they can’t hit the brakes and there’s no way to stop in time. Those who have been injured in accidents caused by these negligent operators must understand how to seek financial compensation.