Fatal Boat Wreck at Barkley last week

[dc chopper]

Look, I drive a tractor trailer, I had to take a written test, road test and pass a physical to do it. Not everyone can drive one, even if they wanted to. I have a knack for it, a God given talent that I can bullseye a dock in the middle of a Kansas tornado, IMO, Im the best there is bar none but that dont mean I cant have a tire blow out, jack knife in an ice storm ect... Some of you are like that with a boat. I have seen guys in situations that would make me cringe, I have had trailers in situations that would scare the daylights out of people. No one is bullet proof in anything. I think it would not hurt anyone to take a boaters safety class, if you know it then thats great but remember there are alot more like me out there who know some things and is trying to be safe but will make some mistakes at times. When I takwe this class, other than acting stupid, there will be no excuses. BTW, think abou the 80 yr old man driving that 50 ft motor home, he has no training either, just like Woody, pick it up heres the keys enjoy your trips sir.

[Fishin is life]

Look, I drive a tractor trailer, I had to take a written test, road test and pass a physical to do it. Not everyone can drive one, even if they wanted to. I have a knack for it, a God given talent that I can bullseye a dock in the middle of a Kansas tornado, IMO, Im the best there is bar none but that dont mean I cant have a tire blow out, jack knife in an ice storm ect... Some of you are like that with a boat. I have seen guys in situations that would make me cringe, I have had trailers in situations that would scare the daylights out of people. No one is bullet proof in anything. I think it would not hurt anyone to take a boaters safety class, if you know it then thats great but remember there are alot more like me out there who know some things and is trying to be safe but will make some mistakes at times. When I takwe this class, other than acting stupid, there will be no excuses. BTW, think abou the 80 yr old man driving that 50 ft motor home, he has no training either, just like Woody, pick it up heres the keys enjoy your trips sir.

I agree with a lot of the things you said....no matter how good you are at anything crap can and will happen....Sometimes you don't have to make a "mistake" for things to go wrong....being on the water you can take a wake at the wrong angle while in the middle of a turn and its over....just as driving your tractor trailer you can hit a patch of black ice doing less than the speed limit and its over....THERE IS NO COURSE YOU CAN TAKE THAT WILL PREPARE YOU FOR THINGS THAT CAN AND WILL HAPPEN ON THE WATER....my only complaint about taking a course is that a lot of the people who need to take it, will be the ones who won't take it

[flippindrew]

A regulation requiring a boaters safety course is not going to solve ANYTHING.

I'm lost that everyone is referring to this accident and claiming we need to require boaters safety courses when both drivers in this accident were fully experienced drivers.

I took a boaters safety course when I was 14 or 15 to allow me to drive a boat without an adult present. What did it teach me? Port/Starboard, red buoy/green, give way to larger vessels exiting channels while you are entering blah blah. Nothing, experience and others such as my father taught me.

This thread was stemmed from a single accident. An accident in which arose from a single circumstance that everyone who has ever driven a boat has encountered. It was an absolute tragedy but I'm sure that everyone who has ever operated a boat of any kind has encountered this situation that caused this. A situation where your driving head on directly towards another boat. The key lesson here is to simply remember that you must make that move first to show the other driver your intentions. You cannot wait on the other driver.

It cannot be contributed to any organization, fog, too many boats on the water etc. I drove past this accident no more than two minutes after it happened and I could see the direction each driver was going etc.

An example of the regulations people are asking for:

Did I take a test for my permit and drivers license before driving? Yes. Did this stop me from driving like an idiot when I was 16 yrs. old? No. Inexperience is inexperience and a test cannot give you experience.

The simple fact is that require a test is not going to influence someone’s driving decisions on the water or the road after a test. As someone else stated, this boils down to common sense and decision making.

Staggering take off times for boats in a single tournament is obviously not a solution because the boats were in two different tournaments.

We all need to say a prayer for the family and friends affected and remember that we can only control our own boats on the water, and not others.

This is simply my opinion and wasn't meant to offend anyone. I have driven bassboats for over 14 years and have never had a single accident.

I'm sorry but tests simply do not prepare you for everything. Again, I can attest to that, I've take the boaters safety course.

[dc chopper]

[QUOTE=flippindrew;430443]A regulation requiring a boaters safety course is not going to solve ANYTHING.

I'm lost that everyone is referring to this accident and claiming we need to require boaters safety courses when both drivers in this accident were fully experienced drivers.

I took a boaters safety course when I was 14 or 15 to allow me to drive a boat without an adult present. What did it teach me? Port/Starboard, red buoy/green, give way to larger vessels exiting channels while you are entering blah blah. Nothing, experience and others such as my father taught me.

This thread was stemmed from a single accident. An accident in which arose from a single circumstance that everyone who has ever driven a boat has encountered. It was an absolute tragedy but I'm sure that everyone who has ever operated a boat of any kind has encountered this situation that caused this. A situation where your driving head on directly towards another boat. The key lesson here is to simply remember that you must make that move first to show the other driver your intentions. You cannot wait on the other driver.

It cannot be contributed to any organization, fog, too many boats on the water etc. I drove past this accident no more than two minutes after it happened and I could see the direction each driver was going etc.

An example of the regulations people are asking for:

Did I take a test for my permit and drivers license before driving? Yes. Did this stop me from driving like an idiot when I was 16 yrs. old? No. Inexperience is inexperience and a test cannot give you experience.

The simple fact is that require a test is not going to influence someone?s driving decisions on the water or the road after a test. As someone else stated, this boils down to common sense and decision making.

Staggering take off times for boats in a single tournament is obviously not a solution because the boats were in two different tournaments.

We all need to say a prayer for the family and friends affected and remember that we can only control our own boats on the water, and not others.

This is simply my opinion and wasn't meant to offend anyone. I have driven bassboats for over 14 years and have never had a single accident.

I'm sorry but tests simply do not prepare you for everything. Again, I can attest to that, I've take the boaters safety course.[/QU

This is a great response too. things do happen, sometimes there is nothing we can do... just Look at Tony Reynolds experience ....he lost one and he was around them 24-7 sometimes bad things happen and there is nothing we can do about it but I will still take one first chance I get cause I have no idea what starboard side is... in Bullitt Co we call that either lfet or right

[VMAXX]

A regulation requiring a boaters safety course is not going to solve ANYTHING.

I'm lost that everyone is referring to this accident and claiming we need to require boaters safety courses when both drivers in this accident were fully experienced drivers.

I took a boaters safety course when I was 14 or 15 to allow me to drive a boat without an adult present. What did it teach me? Port/Starboard, red buoy/green, give way to larger vessels exiting channels while you are entering blah blah. Nothing, experience and others such as my father taught me.

This thread was stemmed from a single accident. An accident in which arose from a single circumstance that everyone who has ever driven a boat has encountered. It was an absolute tragedy but I'm sure that everyone who has ever operated a boat of any kind has encountered this situation that caused this. A situation where your driving head on directly towards another boat. The key lesson here is to simply remember that you must make that move first to show the other driver your intentions. You cannot wait on the other driver.

It cannot be contributed to any organization, fog, too many boats on the water etc. I drove past this accident no more than two minutes after it happened and I could see the direction each driver was going etc.

An example of the regulations people are asking for:

Did I take a test for my permit and drivers license before driving? Yes. Did this stop me from driving like an idiot when I was 16 yrs. old? No. Inexperience is inexperience and a test cannot give you experience.

The simple fact is that require a test is not going to influence someone’s driving decisions on the water or the road after a test. As someone else stated, this boils down to common sense and decision making.

Staggering take off times for boats in a single tournament is obviously not a solution because the boats were in two different tournaments.

We all need to say a prayer for the family and friends affected and remember that we can only control our own boats on the water, and not others.

This is simply my opinion and wasn't meant to offend anyone. I have driven bassboats for over 14 years and have never had a single accident.

I'm sorry but tests simply do not prepare you for everything. Again, I can attest to that, I've take the boaters safety course.

+1 couldnt have said it better.....