Alcohol and Boating Can
Be Deadly
Ahh, boating ! Skimming over the water with the wind
in your hair. What a great way to spend a summer afternoon,
especially with family and friends. A carefree atmosphere
like this is just made to have fun and party. However, this
partying should never include drinking alcohol. Mixing
alcohol and boating can have tragic consequences.
When the Canadian Safe Boating Council and SmartBoater.ca
speak to Canadian boaters each year during Safe Boating Awareness
Week, which runs from May 21st - 27th, and
throughout the entire boating season about the dangers of alcohol
and boating, there is no gentle way to say it. Being impaired
while operating a boat can cost you thousands of dollars, or worse,
turn a fun day into a deadly outing! ((OR A ONE WAY
TRIP))
Federal statutes dictate that, whether or not your craft
is motorized, you can be charged with Impaired Operation of a
vessel under the Criminal Code of Canada if your blood alcohol
level exceeds the .08 threshold. That means you can be
charged even if you are impaired while operating a canoe and a
judge can, upon conviction, suspend your boating privileges, but it
can get worse.
Many provinces have enacted additional legislation to curb
the practice of drinking and boating. In Ontario for
example, Bill 209 amended the Highway Traffic Act to also apply to
"anyone operating or having the care or control of a
vessel". As such, anyone found boating
with a blood alcohol level above .05, face an on-the-spot drivers'
license suspension. That's right! You can lose your
automobile driver's licence and should your blood
alcohol concentration exceed .08, upon conviction an additional
suspension of up to one year can be applied.
If that's not a sufficient deterrent, add the financial
impact of court and legal fees, alternative transportation for the
year (i.e. taxi, bus, train, etc.) and potential loss of employment
if driving is an essential component of your job. The costs
keep mounting even after the reinstatement of your license.
You'll face drastically increased insurance premiums for up to 6
years and the inconvenience and embarrassment related to the
installation and use of an ignition interlock system. These
costs can easily amount to many thousands of dollars! The
decision to drink and boat seems pretty stupid when stacked up
against these penalties!
But many impaired boaters are not stopped before something
even worse happens. The Canadian Safe Boating Council completed a
survey that identified in nearly 40% of boaing related deaths
alcohol was a factor and 23% of the cases involved alcohol above
the legal limit.
What increased the effects of alcohol in a boat are
sunshine and a boat's natural rocking motion that can turn a simple
ride can turn into a dangerous dunking. It only takes a large
wake or wave, a quick change in the boat's direction, or a 'tippy
canoe' to result in someone falling overboard with tragic
consequences.
Navigating a boat takes coordination and your full
concentration. Your decision making skills and ability to
react suddenly to changes in condition and surroundings is
compromised by alcohol. Your reaction time slows, your vision
and judgement are affected and you are more willing to be reckless
and take risks. All of this can result in a preventable
accident in which you or someone you care for ends up in hospital
or worse.
Psychologists know that human nature has a way of
rationalizing. "It can't possibly happen to me" is often the
thought. Whether that means "I'll never be caught" or "I'll never
be killed" doesn't matter.
Neither of those things will happen if boaters stick to
just boating on the water. Afterward, you can have a few drinks on
shore and then stay put.
It's that simple - If you drink, don't drive your
boat.
For more information on safe and responsible boating
practices visit Canada's educational boating website www.smartboater.ca