News

LaValle: Offer insurance discounts for taking boat safety courses

SUFFOLK TIMES FILE PHOTO | A Greenport man crashed this boat into a breakwater last October. No one was seriously hurt.

In the wake of a tragedy that claimed the lives of three children when a cabin cruiser capsized in Oyster Bay Harbor, state Senator Ken Lavalle (R-Port Jefferson) announced he is drafting legislation to give insurance breaks to boaters who take boating safety courses.

“Boaters depend on the rules of the road, common sense and courtesy,” Senator LaValle said. “We can’t teach common sense, but can teach boaters the rules they need to know to operate their vessels safely.”

The bill, which Senator LaValle said will be introduced within the next week, would entitle boater’s who take a basic safety course to a 10 percent discount on their insurance, while those who take a more advanced course would receive a 15 percent insurance reduction.

The state Senate held a public hearing Wednesday on boating safety in New York waters.

[email protected]