Archive for the ‘Drunk Boating’ Category

The Coast Guard has recently issued the statistics regarding 2009 recreational boating safety.  This report is important not only for recreational boaters but also for maritime employers.  Everyone who operates a vessel should know the contents of this report and how to prevent future injuries and fatalities from occurring.

The 2009 recreational boating statistics indicated that despite a 1.23 percent decrease in boating accidents there was a 3.81 increase in boating fatalities and a 0.81 increase in injuries.  Specifically, there were:

• 736 deaths;
• 3,358 injuries; and
• 4,730 accidents.

The top five reasons for boating accidents included:

• Operator inattention;
• Alcohol use;
• Operator inexperience;
• Failure to maintain a proper lookout; and
• Excessive speed.

If you’ve been injured, or lost a loved one, because of a recreational boating accident you may be entitled to damages.  Please contact a maritime injury lawyer for more information about your rights.

Operation Dry Water will be conducted from Friday June 25 – Sunday June 27, 2010.  This initiative will be conducted by federal, state and local officials in an attempt to enforce boating laws – specifically laws about drunk boating or boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Boating under the influence is illegal and problematic for both recreational boaters and professional maritime workers.  A boat operator with a blood alcohol level of .10 is ten times more likely to die in a boating accident then a boat operator who is not drinking.  Operating a boat with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher is against the law in most states.  Alcohol use may be even more dangerous for boaters than drivers of cars and trucks because of the sun, wind and motion experienced on the water.

Alcohol use is also dangerous for boat passengers as it can negatively effect their ability to survive if they fall overboard.

This is the second year of Operation Dry Water.  In 2009, marine law enforcement issued warnings to more than 5,000 boats, made 283 boating while intoxicated arrests, and issued more than 1100 other citations.