6 Most Common Rumors About Alcohol and Boating from the US Coast Guard

1. Drinking alcohol while operating a boat isn’t a big deal; it’s not as dangerous as drinking and driving a car.

The fact is, alcohol is responsible for 16% of boating fatalities. It’s the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths. That’s a huge deal. Operating a boat with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher is also against the law.

The operator of a boat has more variables to consider than someone driving a car. How deep is the water? Are there submerged dangers like rocks or trees? How big are the waves and what direction are they coming from?

Waterways aren’t marked by lanes, signs and street lights the same way that roads are and most boats don’t have headlights. Operating a boat is challenging enough while sober. Adding alcohol only makes it more difficult and dangerous. Exposure to sun, wind, rain, noise, vibration and motion – “stressors” common to the boating environment – intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs, and some medications. Read Full Story

Source: http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/08/6-most-common-rumors-about-alcohol-and-boating/#sthash.oQ9IB6qN.dpuf