Don't Drink and Boat

Did you know that drinking while driving a boat is worse than drinking and driving a car? One of the most comprehensive studies of drinking and boating conducted in over a decade concludes what some in boating have suspected for a long time: that a passenger on board a boat has the same increased risk of being injured or killed as the boat's operator if both have been drinking. The study compared the relative risk of being injured or killed in a boating accident involving alcohol to see if the risk differed between the boat operator and the passengers on board. According the U.S. Coast Guard, "alchohol is more hazardous on water than on land." Whether or not you are the driver of the boat, boating under the influence is a bad idea. The effects of being on a boat, including continual motion and vibration, sun, and engine noise, all collaborate to increase impairment more so than when a person is on land. The result is a sharply increased chance of boating accidents for both drivers and passengers. The Coast Guard estimates that in over half the boating deaths involving alcohol, the victims fell overboard or capsized their boat. An intoxicated person in the water faces a double danger - being unaware of the onset of hypothermia and increased disorientation resulting from inner ear disturbances. As with drinking and driving, boating while intoxicated is illegal. If the Coast Guard determines a person is boating while intoxicated, they will terminate the voyage and escort the boat to the nearest mooring. They can arrest the person, detain them until they sober up, or turn them over to state or local authorities. Don't Drink and Boat - It's always best to plan to boat without alcohol. If you do drink, though, don't get in the boat while intoxicated - either behind the helm or as a passenger - always wait an hour per drink before operating the boat.