Everyone in a Massachusetts Kayak Must Wear a Life Jacket Right Now

Did you know that if you are rowing in a canoe or a kayak in Massachusetts, you are legally required to wear a life vest this time of year? According to Massachusetts laws on boating safety, anyone of any age is required to wear a personal floatation device between now and May 15.

The concern for users of canoes and kayaks is hypothermia. While the air temperature can still be warm enough above the water, hypothermia can set it rather quickly in the fall and winter months. Colder water temperatures paired with vessels that have a tendency to flip over is the combination that boat safety experts are worried about.

For experienced kayakers and canoeists, the law may seem unreasonable and overreaching. However, Massachusetts has a decades-long history of imposing laws on the public that force self preservation.

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For example, the state's seat belt law was initially passed in 1985. It fined drivers who weren't wearing seatbelts with additional fines for each passenger that wasn't buckled up. The 1985 law was so unpopular with cries that it was unconstitutional, it was repealed a year later in 1986. Massachusetts lawmakers eventually flexed their muscles again in 1994 and reinstated the law, which has remained in its current form to this day.

Both of the laws above are also comparable to the state's motorcycle helmet law, which was passed in 1967. The universal motorcycle law applies to all riders regardless of age or experience.

The argument against all of these particular laws is that individuals that break them are only putting themselves in danger. Should we be able to risk our own lives in the name of freedom?