Enforcement of Boating Under the Influence Laws to be Stepped Up June 26-28
"Operation Dry Water" Part of Nationwide Effort

            Charleston W.Va. – Recreational boaters may want to think twice before reaching for that cold beer, especially the weekend of June 26-28. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources conservation officers, as part of a national coordinated effort of stepped-up enforcement known as Operation Dry Water, will be out in force looking for boat operators whose blood alcohol content exceeds the state limit of .08 percent. Operation Dry Water will include increased patrols, breathalyzer tests, and checkpoints as well as boater education.

            DNR Law Enforcement is the primary West Virginia agency charged by state law to enforce the state’s boating laws. All major rivers and lakes have patrol boats permanently assigned to them.

            "We want people to be safe and have fun while recreational boating," said Lt. Tim Coleman, DNR’s State Boating Safety Program coordinator. "Alcohol use has become the leading contributing factor in fatal recreational boating accidents. We recommend that boaters avoid drinking alcoholic beverages at all times, and we will have zero tolerance for anyone found operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs on our waters."

            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. United States Coast Guard statistics reveal that in 2007, 21 percent of all boating fatalities were a result of alcohol use.

            Impaired boaters caught this weekend can expect penalties to be severe.  In West Virginia they include fines and jail time.

            "There will be arrests this weekend, and some boaters will face the consequences of boating under the influence," added Lt. Coleman “But we'd much rather arrest someone than to have to tell their friends and family they're never coming back."

            Operation Dry Water is a joint program of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and several local law enforcement agencies More information is available at www.operationdrywater.org.