Crackdown on Boating Under the Influence This Weekend Nationwide
LEXINGTON, Ky. (PRWEB) June 26, 2018 -- Law enforcement agencies across the United States will be cracking down on boating under the influence this weekend, June 29 – July 1, as part of Operation Dry Water. The national boating under the influence heightened awareness and enforcement campaign targets those who choose to boat under the influence and raises awareness about the dangers associated with drinking and boating. The crackdown takes place just prior July 4th, a holiday known for high boater turnout and alcohol related boating accidents.
In 2017, during the three-day heightened enforcement weekend, 628 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies participated Operation Dry Water. More than 7,000 officers were on patrol looking for impaired operators and talking to boaters about safe boating habits. Over the three-day period, 518 arrests were made for boating under the influence.
“Operation Dry Water is focused on educating boaters about safe boating practices, which includes boating sober, as well as preventing tragedies by removing impaired operators from our waterways,” says Hannah Helsby, Communications Director, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). “There will be officers on the water in every state and territory looking for those who are endangering themselves and others by choosing to operate a boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in recreational boating deaths according the recent U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics. That is why recreational boating safety advocates and law enforcement agencies are working together to crackdown on boating under the influence.
In addition to facilitating the heightened enforcement weekend, Operation Dry Water offers materials and public service announcements through the campaign website, http://www.operationdrywater.org, that participants and the public can use to share boating safety messages. Law enforcement agencies wanting to participate can still register at http://www.operationdrywater.org/enforcement.
Operation Dry Water is a grant-funded initiative coordinated by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. It is produced under a grant from the Sport Fish & Restoration Boating Trust Fund administered by the U.S. Coast Guard.
2017 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics
Hannah Helsby, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, http://www.operationdrywater.org, 8592259487, [email protected]
Share this article