Kill switch law

[Susky River Rat]

I know the coast guard made it mandatory for kill switches if the vessel came equipped with it for boats 26 and less to wear it while at greater than slow no wake.

 

I was paging through the 2025 boater handbook for PA and now it must be on regardless whether it came with one. Just wanted to let anyone know that could be coming here.

I think there is going to be a lot of unhappy people on the river. I always wear mine. I keep it attached to my life jacket. 

[TnRiver46]

My mud motor doesn’t have one but it dies when you let off the throttle every single time . Count it ? 

[Susky River Rat]

@TnRiver46 I don’t think the PA fish and boat commission will. 

[Johnbt]

It's not a switch. 

Here's the 26-page boating handbook. I was looking to see if electric motors were included since they said "engines". They only list four engine groups: OB, stern drive, inboard and jet.

 

www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/fishandboat/documents/boating/regulations/boatinghandbook.pdf

 

The chart on page 11 says use the switch "if equipped". They need to fix that.

 

[TnRiver46]

Seems like the exact same function, it your hand isn’t touching the motor the boat shuts off. I wouldn’t even know where to begin to install one, it’s not a regular boat motor. It’s a pressure washer engine from harbor freight haha 

[Susky River Rat]

@Johnbt I see what you are saying but it clearly states in PA it is illegal to not have it attached to the operator. The chart looks like copy and paste from the USCG requiments. PA can make their own laws. The electric falls under fuel type not propulsion type. Electric motors are considered outboard drive. 

 

@TnRiver46 I think the coast guard has a specific definition of what a kill switch is. I think it has to electronically interrupt the ignition. I would need to double check that. 

[TOXIC]

Touchy subject with me.  When I was guiding there was no time the big motor was started without my kill switch either hooked to my vest or my wrist, or a belt loop.  I was a little nonchalant about hooking it up when I was out prefishing or fun fishing by myself.  Then I had a dream…..In my dream, it was a crisp clear morning at sun up and I was running full throttle down the lake I guided on (I even knew the part of the lake I was on) and the water was like glass.  Out of nowhere I hit a sizable wake and the boat lurched violently from side to side.  So violently, it threw me out of the boat.  I respect the water but I do not fear the water so when I surfaced, I was laughing.  Then I looked as my boat was continuing down lake at full throttle without me in it.  The sense of dread that came over me as I tried to think what the boat was going to hit, was intense, so intense, it made it impossible for me to ever run my boat without the kill switch attached.  Many videos I see with guys showing 70+ mph runs with no pfd’s and assumably no kill switch, make me crazy.  

[Johnbt]

"PA can make their own laws."

 

The chart is in the PA booklet on the pa.gov website. They should fix it.

 

www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/fishandboat/documents/boating/regulations/boatinghandbook.pdf

_________________

 

"Electric motors are outboards" - Okay, I see that now at the end of the first paragraph. The trouble is, the entire paragraph reads 

"There are four primary types of boat motors: 1. Outboard motors vary in size and clamp onto the transom. The whole motor pivots on its mounting to aim the wash and steer the boat. The boat turns in the opposite direction that the tiller arm is pushed. Electric motors are outboards."

 

So the 70-lb MK Maxxum bow-mounted trolling motor on my boat isn't an outboard and doesn't need a kill switch? But the transom-mounted MK 45-lb Endura Max trolling motor on my boat is an outboard and does need one?

 

This is making my head hurt.

 

Anybody have a trolling motor with a kill switch? I have never seen one. Neither of my MK's do.

[Susky River Rat]

@TOXIC the kill switch isn’t just safety for you or the people in your boat. It’s for everyone on the water.  You fall out and your boat kill someone it’s your fault for not having the kill switch on. 
 

@Johnbt you aren’t going over slow no wake speed with a TM. You should not be standing going on the casting deck going faster than slow no wake. I do agree they should change that portion as of the chart. 

[Darth-Baiter]

my boat goes 4mph (kayak) and it has the kill switch..I am not in a good place if my kayak leaves me in the middle of the lake.  I am (pun) on board with the switch.

[Johnbt]

Even no wake or 5 mph is dangerous.  If you hit a submerged stump or a large diameter submerged standing tree at 4.5 mph while sitting in a bass boat seat on my 1648 and you're coming out of the seat and landing somewhere in the boat or the water. If you have both feet back under the seat you'll probably end up on your face on the floor.

 

One time with both motors running at 2/3rds and the boat at 4.5 mph we hit a submerged sandbar in a reservoir. Luckily it wasn't a stump, but we stopped in about 2.5 feet. We both ended up landing on our butts sorta of hanging over the gunnel. The Maxxum prop and motor bent all the way back under the boat and took some paint off the hull. It cracked the bottom of the upper housing, which I replaced, and I had the local MK repair shop replace the armature assembly. They had one in stock and did the job the next day. No harm to the prop or the shaft and I'm still using the repaired motor. I learned a lesson that day. Slow down.

[Susky River Rat]

@Johnbt I’ve hit  rocks and trees under the water i couldn’t see.  Smashed jet intakes just the nature of running the river here. Slow no wake is not the everyone will be safe and nothing will ever happen speed. It’s the most rational and used as a threshold. It’s just like work zone speed limited on highways. 

[J Francho]

Is there any verbiage for "man overboard" wireless kill switches?

[gim]

The kill switch law is designed to protect others and private property should you get sent overboard while a boat is cruising along at a high speed.  It's now become a moving vessel without an operator that has a rotating metal weapon on the back of it.  I can see why it's mandated.

 

This is the primary difference between a PFD and a kill switch.  If you aren't wearing your PFD, the only person affected is you (and your family/friends), not the general public or property.

 

Each state may have different verbiage on this but my understanding is that they are mostly required if the outboard is equipped with one.  Some older motors don't have one, so they may be exempt.

 

As others have stated, I just attach mine to my PFD.  But there was a time years ago when I did neither.

[Tennessee Boy]

I spend a lot of time with my trolling motor on auto pilot and I've thought a lot about what happens if I fall out.  I always keep my micro remote attached to me so I can hit spot lock to keep the boat from leaving me if I'm in the water.  I'm not that worried about the damage the boat will do if it runs away.  It could do some damage obviously but it's unlikely to kill someone.  Other boats should be able to get out of the way of a boat going 3 MPH. 😆

[J Francho]

Not wearing a PFD also puts rescue/recovery personnel in danger. 
 

Still curious about my earlier question. Many boats bigger than 20' are equipped with this. 

[Susky River Rat]

@J Francho I did not see anything other than a kill switch must be worn. Honestly I am willing to bet most boats being used in PA minus the Great Lakes are 20’ and under. Unless it’s a pontoon. 
 

1 hour ago, gim said:

 Some older motors don't have one, so they may be exempt

 This to my understand and digging into it is not saying that. Since it’s new for 2025 I would think if they are not exempt there will be some unhappy people. Usually though I rarely see the fish and boat commission out. The lakes get patrolled not so much the river.  

[J Francho]

I thought I saw conversions for adding a kill switch that were less than $50. A tiller feels even more important to have and use one. 

[Tackleholic]

2 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I spend a lot of time with my trolling motor on auto pilot and I've thought a lot about what happens if I fall out.  I always keep my micro remote attached to me so I can hit spot lock to keep the boat from leaving me if I'm in the water.  I'm not that worried about the damage the boat will do if it runs away.  It could do some damage obviously but it's unlikely to kill someone.  Other boats should be able to get out of the way of a boat going 3 MPH. 😆

Very good idea;  I will begin doing that.

[Craig P]

44 minutes ago, Susky River Rat said:

I am willing to bet most boats being used in PA minus the Great Lakes are 20’ and under. Unless it’s a pontoon. 

Have you fished Blue Marsh the last couple of years? Unreal the size of pleasure boats they are dropping in there.  I’ve seen them in the upper 20s.  Fishing wise, it’s a mix but I’ve seen some serious rigs being dropped in there. Kind of funny TBH, a rig with a 150 or more can cruise the entire wake area end to end in about 2 minutes. 

[Susky River Rat]

@Craig P I fish there often when the river is too low to go. I can’t say  I have seen any boat 8-10ft longer than mine. They look a lot bigger because of the freeboard and beam compared to a 20ft bass boat. 

[Craig P]

1 hour ago, Susky River Rat said:

@Craig P I fish there often when the river is too low to go. I can’t say  I have seen any boat 8-10ft longer than mine. They look a lot bigger because of the freeboard and beam compared to a 20ft bass boat. 

 

 

I will admit, I fished it seldom this past year just because of the Covid years (yes years) shied me away.  I fish salt often in a 21’ CC and that boat pales in comparison to some of the boats I watched launch in there. Hoping early spring gives me a warming welcome back. 

[TOXIC]

While I agree, a kill switch is mainly to protect others, let’s not forget most boats will go into a hard turn with no one at the helm and there are a lot of injuries when it circles back and chops the operator.  

[Capt Ed]

On 1/19/2025 at 1:01 PM, J Francho said:

Is there any verbiage for "man overboard" wireless kill switches?

From Fell Marine:  Approved by Congress, nationwide law goes into effect March 31, 2021. 1stMate & the MOB+ complies with all federal and state boating laws, and meets the American Boat & Yachting Council’s A-33 standard for Engine cut-off devices. It does comply with the nationwide law, that requires boat operators to wear an engine cut-off device for boats 26 feet or less while operating on plane or above displacement speed.

 

From the USCG:  On April 1, 2021 a new federal law goes into effect that requires the operator of a boat with an installed Engine Cut-Off Switch (ECOS) to use the ECOS link. The link is usually a coiled bungee cord lanyard clipped onto the operator's person, Personal Floatation Device (PFD) or clothing and the other end attached to the cut-off switch, but there are plenty of variations on the market, including electronic wireless devices.  The law applies on all "Navigable Waters of the US".

[Glenn]

I always wear my PFD when the big motor is on regardless of speed, and it's always attached to a kill switch.  I've never needed a tournament rule or state law to tell me the obvious.

 

But hey, apparently not wearing a seatbelt is becoming a trend these days.  A product of not being forced to watch the gruesome films in driver's ed we had to watch when we were teens.  Seeing a dead body sticking out of a windshield with their jaw ripped off kinda stays with you.