The United States Coast Guard, along with local law enforcement in Miami-Dade County, have joined together to crackdown on boating while intoxicated this Fourth of July weekend.
Many Miami-Dade area residents choose to spend their holiday weekend on a boat enjoying the region's local waterways. This recreational activity can be harmful to the public safety, however, when alcohol is involved, says Miami DUI attorney John Musca. Experts estimate that around 20 percent of the approximately 400 fatal boating accidents that occur in the United States every year are caused by boaters who operate their vessels while intoxicated. The legal limits for operating a boat or other water vessel after having consumed alcohol or a controlled substance are the same as for operating a motor vehicle. Above the legal limit of a .08 percent blood alcohol concentration a boater is considered per se intoxicated under the law. For boaters with a BAC of .08 or boaters who have consumed other intoxicating substances determining whether they are intoxicated enough to face criminal penalties is based on the totality of the surrounding circumstances. Boaters may be asked to perform field sobriety tests similar to those motorists perform.
Experts have determined that boating under the influence is especially dangerous because intoxicated boaters are more susceptible to be distracted by surrounding environmental factors. The effects of the sunlight, of loud noises and the wind are all increased when a boater operates his vessel while under the influence.
Miami-Dade law enforcement officers and Coast Guard officials are taking a two-pronged approach toward dealing with the problem of intoxicated boating this 4th of July. As part of Operation Dry Water, officials will educate boaters on the dangers of boating while intoxicated and on measures they can take to reduce fatal accidents such as wearing a life jacket. Second, officials will increase patrols of the area's waterways in an effort to both deter and respond to intoxicated boating.
More information is available here.
