OHIO \u2014 Ohioans are already taking boats out as the temperatures heat up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But before heading out onto the water, the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Divisions of Liquor Control and Cannabis Control, as well as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, are reminding boaters of safe practices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alcohol consumption or cannabis use while operating a boat can lead to dangerous situations, both for those on board and others enjoying the waterways.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In Ohio, it’s illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher, the same as it is for driving. It’s also illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of marijuana.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last year, ODNR enforcement officers made 47 arrests that involved alcohol and\/or drugs, and there were 14 incidents involving alcohol or drugs.<\/p>\n
Ten incidents led to 11 injuries and three deaths.<\/p>\n
The most recent data from the\u00a0United States Coast Guard\u2019s Boating and Safety Division<\/a>\u00a0shows in fatal boating accidents, alcohol use was the leading known contributing factor, accounting for 20% of deaths.<\/p>\n \u201cBoating is one of the best ways to enjoy Ohio\u2019s waterways, and safety has to be at the center of every trip,\u201d said Cindy Bellar, ODNR boating law administrator. \u201cOperating a boat under the influence of alcohol or cannabis puts everyone at risk. By choosing to boat sober, wearing a life jacket, and understanding Ohio\u2019s boating laws, you\u2019re helping ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for yourself, your passengers, and everyone else on the water.\u201d<\/p>\n Ohio officials urge boaters to limit the use of intoxicating substances among passengers can help keep everyone safe. This goes for passengers, as there is a possibility of falling overboard.<\/p>\n Open container laws are also in effect while on publicly owned waterways, which include the Ohio state parks.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cResponsible alcohol consumption is an important part of ensuring safety on the water,\u201d DOLC Superintendent Jackie DeGenova said. \u201cBecause alcohol can affect balance and coordination differently in a boating environment, we encourage anyone planning to drink to do so thoughtfully and to ensure a sober operator is designated. Taking these simple precautions helps promote a safe and enjoyable boating season for everyone in Ohio.\u201d<\/p>\n Here are ways to have a safe boating experience:<\/p>\n “Always boat sober and be sure to designate a sober operator.
\nAlways wear a life jacket to keep what matters afloat.
\nIf you are operating a boat, make sure you understand Ohio\u2019s boating laws<\/a> and complete the Ohio Boating Education Course<\/a>, which is a requirement for anyone operating a boat with more than 10 horsepower.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"OHIO \u2014 Ohioans are already taking boats out as the temperatures heat up.\u00a0 But before heading out onto…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215875,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[290,292,136,138,137,291,139,293,294,295],"class_list":["post-215874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-erie","tag-app-public-safety","tag-app-top-stories","tag-erie","tag-erie-headlines","tag-erie-news","tag-lydia-taylor","tag-news","tag-ohio","tag-public-safety","tag-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}