2012 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes
Title 30 - FISH
Chapter 55 - Operation of Boats
Section 5503 - Accident reports

     § 5503.  Accident reports.
        (a)  Duty to file.--In case of a watercraft accident on the
     waters of this Commonwealth, the operator of each watercraft
     involved in the accident shall submit a written accident report
     to the commission within the time prescribed and containing such
     information as may be required by regulation. If an operator of
     a watercraft is physically incapable, as a result of the
     accident, of making a report, the report shall be made by the
     owner of the watercraft or the investigating official, in that
     order. The investigating official will only sign this report
     when the others are not available.
        (b)  Confidentiality.--All reports of watercraft accidents
     shall be considered privileged and shall be filed without
     prejudice to the person filing the report. The reports shall be
     for the information of the commission and shall not be open for
     public inspection except as provided in this section.
        (c)  Admissibility in evidence.--The fact that the reports
     have been made shall be admissible in evidence only to prove
     compliance with the requirements of this section. No report or
     any part thereof or any statement contained therein shall be
     admissible in evidence for any other purposes in any civil or
     criminal trial arising out of the accident.
        (d)  Furnishing abstracts.--The commission shall, upon
     request, furnish any person a certified abstract of the accident
     report. The abstract shall be limited to the date, time,
     location, weather conditions, names and addresses of the
     operators, passengers and witnesses and description of the
     watercraft involved in the accident.
        (e)  Penalties.--Any person who fails to file a completed
     accident report required by this section commits a summary
     offense of the second degree. Any person who files a report
     beyond the time limits prescribed by regulation or without
     providing all the material information required by regulation
     commits a summary offense of the third degree.
     (Nov. 3, 1999, P.L.447, No.41, eff. Jan. 1, 2000)

        1999 Amendment.  Act 41 amended subsec. (e).