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California Boating Safety Tips for Summer

The US Coast Guard is warning about the need to follow stringent California boating safety precautions and safe practices to avoid accidents during summer.

With summer approaching quickly there will be large numbers of boaters on California’s waterways, which will lead to an increased risk of boating accidents. Most accidents can be prevented if boaters are trained, avoid boating under the influence and boating at excessive speeds. Some of our California boating safety tips can keep your vacations enjoyable.

Boating under the influence of alcohol is a major problem during summer. The Coast Guard is warning against BUI. According to the agency, alcohol use is cited as a factor in more than one third of all boating accidents in the country. Most boating accidents that are caused by intoxicated boating, involve capsizing of the boat or people falling overboard.

In fact, according to the Coast Guard, boating under the influence can be even more dangerous than driving under the influence. That is because on the water, there are a variety of factors in the marine environment that can come together to accelerate the person’s impairment further. For instance, an impaired driver may also be dealing with excessive engine noise. He may have to drive the boat in the glare of the sun. All these factors increase the risks of an accident.

Besides, boaters are less likely to be experienced on the water than on the road. This lack of experience can exacerbate the effects of impaired boating. The average boater only spends about 110 hours on the water, compared to the hundreds of hours he or she may spend a year on highways.

BUI can also dramatically impact a person’s chances of surviving an accident. For instance, drinking alcohol can dull your senses, which could prevent a person in the water from getting out of the water before hypothermia sets in. A person, who falls overboard under the influence, may also suffer from delayed response times and slower reactions. You are less likely to survive in the ocean if you fall overboard in an intoxicated state. Your swimming abilities are likely to be negatively impacted, and your chances of drowning increase.

There are several other factors that could impact your survivability in the water. According to the Coast Guard, every year, they rush to rescue boaters who have been unable to contact them because their cell phones stopped working. The most important thing to remember is not to rely on a cell phone for emergency communication purposes. It’s important that your boat be equipped with the right equipment and communication gear, including radios for you to be able to call for help if you need it.

Besides having the right kind of equipment on your boat, it’s also important that you learn how to use it. You can learn all these things through a basic boat training safety course. California boat accident lawyers would encourage all boaters this year to take a basic training program before they set off on the water. Out on the water, it could take hours for the Coast Guard to get to you in an emergency, and every minute counts.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of boating accidents. Please visit our website at http://www.robertreeveslaw.com/. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us at contact@robertreeveslaw.com.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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One response to “California Boating Safety Tips for Summer”

1. DIY Boats writes:
   

   Never drink and drive a boat! And always wear your life jacket no matter what the situation is.

   @ October 3rd, 2010 at 12:39