Latest news with #safetychecks
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘You can't do anything about it': Memorial Day boaters looking forward to the end of safety stops
Thousands of locals are hitting the water this Memorial Day, and at least for now, their boats can be stopped for safety checks without probable cause. But boaters will soon be able to breathe a little easier thanks to a new state law set to take effect on July 1st and some law enforcement agencies have already ceased safety check stops ahead of the law's effective date. For boaters like Garrett League and Dylan Batsch, the occasional unprovoked encounter with FWC or other law enforcement officials while out on the water is a familiar occurrence. 'They just kind of roll up and they hop on your boat and you can't do anything about it,' said League. And while they said their experiences didn't lead to any arrests or unrelated citations, they did say something just doesn't feel right about random stops for safety checks. 'So, I mean, it's a little unfair cause when you get pulled over by the police, you're speeding or you roll a stop sign, so it's a little different,' said League. But soon, those safety stops will be a thing of the past. One of Governor Ron DeSantis' top priorities this legislative session was the so-called 'Boater Freedom Act', which only allows law enforcement to stop boats if there's probable cause. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'And you may have probable cause to suspect something, and then it may turn out that things are fine. That's kind of the way it goes, but to just go in without any basis is not the way we want to do it,' said DeSantis during the May 19th bill signing. While the law doesn't technically take effect until July 1st, some law enforcement agencies like the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office are already complying with it. When we asked FWC whether it had ceased safety check stops, a spokesperson didn't answer directly. 'During Memorial Day weekend and throughout the year, FWC officers play a vital role in protecting lives by promoting safe boating practices, fostering a culture of responsible behavior on the water and ensuring compliance with the law,' the FWC spokesperson told Action News Jax in an emailed statement. For League and Batsch, they're just happy to know going forward they'll be able to enjoy the water without an unexpected run-in with the law when they're not doing anything wrong. 'It's kind of like driving a car. Like, you know, if you're not doing something wrong, you shouldn't be pulled over. You know what I'm saying?' said Batsch. Under the new law, FWC will begin issuing Florida Freedom Boater decals that will show vessels are in compliance with all safety requirements. Those tags will be good for anywhere between one and five years. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mum pushes for ‘mandatory safety checks' at play parks after son fractures spine
A CONCERNED mum is calling for mandatory safety checks on children's play parks after her eight-year-old son fractured his spine in a fall from a climbing frame. Axel Potts, of Whitehaven, was playing on the equipment at St Bees play park on May 8 when he fell onto matting which his mum, Kerry Potts said was 'severely worn', with 'metal links' exposed. Axel, who has non-verbal autism, was taken to hospital and it was discovered he had suffered a small spinal fracture. He is now awaiting an appointment with the orthopaedics team. Axel Potts, of Whitehaven, who has non-verbal autism, next to the climbing frame at St Bees play park (Image: Submitted) Kerry has set up a petition pushing for mandatory health and safety checks for all children's play parks every three months, amid fears that the state of equipment is putting children at risk of serious injuries. St Bees Parish Council, which is responsible for the play park at St Bees, said weekly safety checks are already carried out by volunteers and councillors and a 'more technical' monthly check is carried out by Cumberland Council. Repair work has since been undertaken on the matting by Cumberland Council. Recalling what happened when Axel fell, Kerry said: 'He was climbing down from the top of the wooden pirate frame and fell backwards from a bit of a height. The flooring of the park and the safety padding isn't well maintained. 'We took him straight to the hospital. He's got a small compression fracture. Because of his autism, Axel doesn't really show pain. The doctor was surprised he was still walking and running round. 'It's made him more wary. He's a very energetic little boy. Because of his autism, the sea is his calming place. He loves the sea.' New matting has been installed by Cumberland Council on part of the area around the climbing frame at St Bees play park (Image: Submitted) She said Cumberland Council had repaired the area of matting which had metal links sticking out but the part where Axel fell was still hard worn and would not cushion a fall. Doug Sim, chairman of St Bees Parish Council, said: 'We do have quite a strict regime of safety checks. Every week, all the equipment is given a visual check by a rota of councillors and volunteers. They do it against a detailed check sheet. 'On top of that, every month we have a more technical check by Cumberland Council, at a higher level. Then we have an annual report by an independent assessor. We get a detailed report of the whole play area. 'We got to know about this via a post on Facebook. The next day we did an assessment of the site and later in the day we applied some rubber padding around what we thought was the cause of the problem. 'There were some metal links which were part of a piece of play equipment that had already been there. We put some rubber round them as a temporary solution. Later in the week, Cumberland Council installed a new piece of mat. 'This is the first time we have seen this type of accident.' A Cumberland Council spokesperson said: 'At the request of St Bees Parish Council, who manage the play area, we undertook some repair work on the matting. This work has been completed.' To sign Kerry's petition for enhanced safety protocols to be put in place at all play parks, go to:
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Free events in Hull to help parents fit child car seats
Free events will be staged to offer advice about the safe fitting of child car than half of child seats checked by a safety organisation in Hull last year were found to be incorrectly fitted, the city council said.A series of seven events will be held across Hull from 13 May to 18 November, in order to prevent errors that could result in serious harm in a Mark Ieronimo, who leads on transport at the council, said: "By providing these free child seat checks, we aim to empower parents and carers with the knowledge needed to protect young passengers." According to the authority, 59% of seats checked by Good Egg Safety, which campaigns on child safety, were found to be incorrectly fitted. About a quarter had major errors or were incompatible with the vehicle or child, though this figure had fallen from 39% in the previous James, the chief executive at Good Egg Safety, said: "Child seats are the most critical pieces of safety equipment we will ever buy for our children or grandchildren and it is so important we get it right."The events will take place at the following locations:13 May – Asda, Hessle Road17 June – Asda car park, Kingswood Retail Park15 July – Asda car park, Mount Pleasant19 August – Kingston Retail Park16 September – Asda car park, Hessle Road14 October – Asda car park, Kingswood Retail Park18 November – Asda car park, Mount PleasantAll events will run from 10:00 to 15:00. They are being supported by Safer Roads Humber, alongside the council and Good Egg Safety. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
