Tag Archives: boating under influence

Tips to avoid boating under the influence

Tips to avoid boating under the influence, according to the Boating Safety Resource Center of the U.S. Coast Guard.

* An alcoholic beverage is only to be consumed by those of the legal age of 21 and older.

Consider these alternatives to using alcohol while afloat:

  • Keep stock of plenty of water and non-alcoholic beverages for hydration.
  • Bring snacks and other food items to reinforce energy as needed.
  • Avoid fatigue. Limit your trip to a reasonable time. Drinking alcohol on the water may accelerate fatigue possibly resulting in an accident or injury.
  • Be cautious to party ashore, at the dock, boating club, etc. Allot drinking time to these and not behind the wheel of your boat.
  • Wait a reasonable time after drinking an alcoholic beverage before operating your boat.
  • Having no alcohol on board is the safest way to enjoy the water. Intoxicated passengers may be at risk of injury or falling overboard.
  • Spread the word. Boating under the influence is just as serious as drinking and driving, if not more. *A boat is still a vehicle.

Boating, fishing and other water sports are fun in their own right. These water sports are meant for enjoyment but may turn in the course of an accident, as a result of drinking alcohol.

Take these initiatives to follow for a safe and fun summer on the water. Do not drink and boat. If you however find yourself in this unfortunate accident, please give a Tampa boating accident attorney a call today to assist you in your claim. Call 813-931-0840 today!

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Florida boating under the influence (BUI) Part 1

Boating under the influence? Yes, you heard right. BUI.

With warm weather approaching, the Gulf waters and many Florida lakes are packed with boats and other forms of water transportation. Boating while intoxicated can be just as deadly as driving and drinking.

Did you know? It is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in every state. The Coast Guard enforces a federal law that prohibits BUI.  This law pertains to all water vessels, including canoes, rowboats and Ski Doos.

The use of alcohol is involved in about a third of all recreational boating fatalities.

The penalties for BUI can include: large fines, revocation of operator privileges and serious jail terms.

**If caught, authorities will tow the boat to shore and arrest those that have been boating under the influence.

Alcohol affects vision, balance, coordination and judgment. These impairments increase the likelihood of accidents afloat – for both passengers and boat operators. The U.S. Coast Guard data shows that in boating deaths involving alcohol use, over half the victims capsized their boats and/or fell overboard.

Alcohol is even more hazardous on the water than on land. The marine environment – motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray – accelerates a drinker’s impairment. These stressors cause fatigue that makes a boat operator’s coordination, judgment and reaction time decline even faster when using alcohol.

Alcohol can also be more dangerous to boaters because boat operators are often less experienced and less confident on the water than on the highway. Recreational boaters don’t have the benefit of experiencing daily boat operation. In fact, boaters average only 110 hours on the water per year.

For more information visit: http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/boating_under_the_influence_initiatives.aspx or contact Blick Law Firm to learn more about Florida boating while drinking at 813-931-0840.

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