[OSMB-News] Marine Law Enforcement Officials Set to Crack Down On Impaired Boaters

[Randy Henry]

For Immediate Release                                                        Date:  Tuesday, June 22, 2010  Marine Law Enforcement Officials Set to Crack Down On Impaired Boaters
             Boaters would do better to leave the cold beer at home – especially this weekend.  Marine law enforcement officers will be out in full force June 25-27 for Operation Dry Water 2010, the second annual national crackdown on those Boating Under the Influence (BUI) of alcohol or drugs.  
            “BUI is a serious problem that contributes to nearly one in five recreational boating fatalities,” said Col. Terry West, president of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and national spokesperson for Operation Dry Water.  
            "We want people to have fun on the water and it should be, if everyone follows the rules” said Dale Flowers, Law Enforcement Coordinator for the Marine Board.  “By exercising zero tolerance for BUI, we’ll ensure everyone else can have a safe and memorable time out there,” Flowers added.  Boaters found to be impaired can expect severe penalties that may include steep fines and loss of boating privileges.  
            Operation Dry Water, launched in 2009 by NASBLA in partnership with the United States Coast Guard, has been a highly successful effort to draw public attention to the hazards of BUI.   Operation Dry Water is a national weekend of BUI detection and enforcement aimed at reducing the number of alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities and fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol and drug use on the water.  It is held during the summer boating season and coordinated by NASBLA, in partnership with the states, the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies. Curbing the number of alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities is key to achieving a safer and more enjoyable environment for recreational boating. According to the most recent U.S. Coast Guard statistics, Boating Under the Influence is still the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents, with 17 percent of boating fatalities a direct result of alcohol or drug use. 
            Agencies and organizations from 46 states and 5 territories participated in the first ever Operation Dry Water, in June 2009.  Over that three-day weekend, 2,442 marine law enforcement officers made contact with 17,454 recreational vessels and issued 5,320 boating safety warnings, 283 BUI citations and 1,127 citations for other violations. This year, all 56 states, trusts and territories are expected to participate, searching for boat operators whose blood alcohol concentration exceeds the national limit of .08 percent. 
            Alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time.  It can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion.  Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion – “stressors” common to the boating environment – intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs, and some prescription medications. Authorities contend that this BUI crackdown is just as important to public safety as the enforcement of drunken driving laws.   
For more information on Operation Dry Water, visit http://operationdrywater.org.   
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The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators is a national nonprofit organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety.  NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories.  NASBLA offers a variety of resources, including training, model acts, education standards and publications.  Through a national network of thousands of professional educators, law enforcement officers and volunteers, NASBLA affects the lives of over 83 million American boaters.  
 
The United States Coast Guard is a military, multi-mission, maritime service within the Department of Homeland Security and one of the nation's five armed services. Its core roles are to protect the public, the environment, and U.S. economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters and America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways.
Ashley A. Massey
Public Information Officer
Oregon State Marine Board
ashley.massey at state.or.us
www.boatoregon.com
www.twitter.com/marineboard



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