Boating Season’s Start Brings a Call for Safety

RALEIGH, N.C. (May 25, 2005) — Boaters should keep a sharp lookout this Memorial Day and beyond, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start of recreational boating season. North Carolina’s wildlife officers, who enforce boating laws on the state’s public waterways, will be vigilant throughout this boating season. Wildlife enforcement officers hope that boaters will act safely and not become a statistic — another ticket written or accident investigated.

The first rule of safety is to pay attention. “Operator inattention is the leading cause of boating accidents,” said Capt. Mike Bogdanowicz, safety coordinator for the Wildlife Commission.
Besides looking out for other vessels, boaters should watch themselves. Careless, reckless and drunken boating are contributors to 40 percent of boating mishaps — many of them fatal. The legal blood alcohol level for boaters is .08, the same as on land. Passengers should also limit their alcohol intake.

“An impaired boat passenger is at a high risk of becoming a drowning victim, in case they’re thrown overboard or simply fall overboard,” Bogdanowicz said.

Boaters should also be familiar with current safety rules. One recent change to the law requires all children younger than 13 to wear a personal flotation device, also known as a life preserver, at all times that the boat is under way — that is, not anchored, moored or aground. A floating seat cushion is not enough, and neither is having the life preserver within reach of the child. Life preservers for children must be appropriately sized and approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. The only exceptions to this requirement are commercial vessels and situations in which a child is below decks or inside an enclosed cabin.

Adults should also wear a life preserver, Bogdanowicz advised. “Every year, people drown simply because they were not wearing a life preserver,” he said. “If you’re ever involved in a boating accident, chances are you won’t have time to reach for a life preserver, or you may be knocked unconscious. You’ll be far safer if you put on a life preserver before you need it.” Life preservers are much more comfortable these days, he added, and inflatable models are available.

Safe boaters will also make sure an onboard fire extinguisher and the vessel’s navigation lights are in proper working order. Keep spare bulbs aboard, just in case.

For more information on boating safety, or to register for a free boater safety course offered by the Wildlife Commission, visit the boating safety page, or call the Commission’s Division of Enforcement at (919) 733-7191.

View Boating Accident and Fatalities Report here