CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Kentucky conservation officers will be out on the waterways in full force this holiday weekend. With a new boating under the influence law on the books, conservation officers want to educate boaters and keep them safe.
Conservation officers are spending this holiday weekend conducting Operation Dry Water. The goal is to reduce boating deaths.
"Alcohol is the number one cause of boating accidents nationwide,” said Sgt. Chris Fossitt.
He points out drinking on the water is different than drinking on land.
"The amount you drink on land is heightened if you're doing the same amount on water because you're out in the sun, you're out in the wind, constant noise, constant waves beating,” said Fossitt. "They're called stressors and they're amplified on the water."
Officers are also using a new law to crack down on drunk boating. Officers can now make a BUI. arrest based on probable cause. Before, officers had to get a search warrant.
"Now, in the case of property damage, injury or fatality, I can go ahead and charge for BUI. And you have an implied consent where you're operating a vessel or vehicle in the state of Kentucky, you're given your consent automatically,” said Fossitt.
The conservation officers will also be checking for general boating regulations, like having life vests for every single person on the boat, and, if you're under 12, you have to wear one.
"Everyone has to have a life jacket that fits them,” said Fossitt.” So if it's an infant, they have to have an infant life jacket."
Fossitt also says following these rules not only ensures the safety of your passengers, it also keeps everyone else safe.
“Absolutely have a designated driver who drinks no alcohol and is aware of the surroundings, keeps his head on a swivel because even though the operator of one vessel isn't impaired doesn't mean the operator of the next one you're passing isn't impaired,” said Fossitt.
This is the 10th year for Operation Dry Water. The United States Coast Guard says alcohol is the leading cause of recreational boating deaths.
