The US Coast Guard adopts strategic course of action in order to avoid boat accidents. The agency is now setting a new legal capacity limit on boats.
In relation to the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States, the US Coast Guard has come up with ways to avoid boat accidents resulting from overweighting boat passengers. The agency is now working to recalculate formulas related to boat weight capacity limit by using heavier weights.
Just like vehicles and planes, boats are also required to follows safety codes associated with the maximum capacity limit they can carry. The capacity limit is formulated using a number representing the average weight of a passenger. This number is commonly referred as the Assumed Average Weight Per Person or AWWAPP by the US Department of Homeland Security.
Before, the AAWPP is approximately 150 pounds, therefore if a boat has 3,000 pounds maximum capacity, the legal number of person it can carry is 20.
Now, the problem is, many Americans weigh more than 150 pounds. Because of this, the Coast Guard had seen a need to adjust the AAWPP from 150 to 185 pounds. Meaning, a boat with a maximum capacity of 3,000 pounds can only carry 16 passengers.
The new AAWP will be 185 pounds, and the said amendment to the federal guidelines for boat capacities will be effective beginning December 1, 2011 in order to adapt to the reality of today’s passengers’ weight.
Despite the fact that this new amendment will lessen the legal number of passengers allowed to board a boat, the boat owners as well as the travelers also need to accept the changes.
Every year, between 600 and 800 people in the country are killed from boat accidents. This new amendment aims to lessen the risk of boat accidents.
In relation to the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States, the US Coast Guard has come up with ways to avoid boat accidents resulting from overweighting boat passengers. The agency is now working to recalculate formulas related to boat weight capacity limit by using heavier weights.
Just like vehicles and planes, boats are also required to follows safety codes associated with the maximum capacity limit they can carry. The capacity limit is formulated using a number representing the average weight of a passenger. This number is commonly referred as the Assumed Average Weight Per Person or AWWAPP by the US Department of Homeland Security.
Before, the AAWPP is approximately 150 pounds, therefore if a boat has 3,000 pounds maximum capacity, the legal number of person it can carry is 20.
Now, the problem is, many Americans weigh more than 150 pounds. Because of this, the Coast Guard had seen a need to adjust the AAWPP from 150 to 185 pounds. Meaning, a boat with a maximum capacity of 3,000 pounds can only carry 16 passengers.
The new AAWP will be 185 pounds, and the said amendment to the federal guidelines for boat capacities will be effective beginning December 1, 2011 in order to adapt to the reality of today’s passengers’ weight.
Despite the fact that this new amendment will lessen the legal number of passengers allowed to board a boat, the boat owners as well as the travelers also need to accept the changes.
Every year, between 600 and 800 people in the country are killed from boat accidents. This new amendment aims to lessen the risk of boat accidents.
