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Bullhead City requires wristbands for rented personal watercraft and urges safety ahead of summer months
Summary
A city presentation said a local ordinance requires wristbands showing renters watched a PWC safety video and signed a consumer protection form; the police chief and safety presenters outlined no-wake rules, life-jacket requirements and other boating-safety guidance.
City presenters and the police chief used the meeting to summarize personal watercraft (PWC) safety rules and a city ordinance that requires rented-PWC operators to wear wristbands indicating they watched the safety video and signed a consumer protection form.
"Per city ordinance, all operators of rented personal watercraft, PWCs, are required to wear wristbands, signifying they have watched and understand the safety video in its entirety, and they have signed the consumer protection form attesting to that fact," the safety presenter said. The presentation warned that failure to comply "may result in fines or other penalties."
Bullhead City Police Chief Robert Treves spoke to boating risks and training. "It is our goal to help you avoid tragedy by being an educated and safe operator," he said, and the department recommended continuing boating-education courses and obeying rules such as maintaining at least 60 feet between boats above wakeless speed, observing counterclockwise traffic patterns on the river and respecting no-wake zones near launch areas and the community-park boat launch.
Other safety guidance included properly fitted life jackets for all riders, not operating a PWC while impaired by alcohol or drugs, careful handling of overturned PWCs, and awareness of currents and Davis Dam release schedules (the presenter directed viewers to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the latest release information).
Enforcement and next steps: The presentation identified lifeguards and river-certified personnel as authorities who can issue warnings and commands to keep people safe. The city framed the wristband requirement and safety video as part of a seasonal public-safety push ahead of heavy river use.
