DNR warns about boating under the influence this summer

SOCIAL CIRCLE – With the Fourth of July holiday drawing closer, Georgia Department of Natural Resources game wardens across the state are conducting heightened enforcement targeting boating under the influence as part of the national Operation Dry Water campaign.

DNR will focus on educating boaters about safe boating practices, which includes boating sober, and enforcing the state’s boating under the influence laws.

“The accidents and tragedies that happen because individuals choose to drive drunk or impaired, on land or on the water, are preventable. The decision lies with the individual on whether they choose to operate a boat or vehicle while under the influence,” Col. Eddie Henderson, the director of Georgia DNR’s Law Enforcement Division, said. “As law enforcement, it is our job to do all we can to ensure the safety of our recreational boaters and paddlers. That is why we are joining other states and agencies across the country to do our part in keeping boaters safe and preventing accidents related to boating under the influence.”

With the summer boating season underway, and the busy July 4th holiday on Wednesday, the DNR Law Enforcement Division reminds boaters that impaired boating is against the law. Operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal on all bodies of water and can lead to serious injuries and consequences. In Georgia, it is illegal to operate a vessel with a blood alcohol content level of .08 or higher — the same as it is to operate a vehicle.

Alcohol is the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths and a major contributor to accidents. DNR encourages boaters to enjoy the boating season by boating sober, wearing a life jacket and taking a boating education course.

The mission of Operation Dry Water is to reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related incidents and fatalities through increased recreational boater awareness and by fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol use on the water.

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