OUR TURN: Heed lifesaving lesson of ‘Don’t booze and cruise’
The broiling temperatures are here and the official start of summer is a few weeks away, which means thousands of boaters and swimmers will soon flock to the waterways of the Highland Lakes.
Everyone who intends to indulge in water-related fun would do well to remember this simple phrase: “Don’t booze and cruise.”
The follow-up phrase might as well be: Or your civil liberties you will lose.
In other words, don’t mix alcohol with boating. The combination can be lethal.
Just like don’t drink and drive means landlubbers shouldn’t get behind the wheel of a car while they’re drunk, the same goes for anyone who is operating a boat or other watercraft.
To add emphasis to the message, a multi-agency law enforcement task force is stepping up patrols of area lakes for the second year in a row, especially on the highly visited Buchanan and LBJ.
There also will be patrols on Inks Lake, Lake Marble Falls and Lake Travis, which are other popular destinations for water fun.
The patrols kicked off Memorial Day weekend.
Spearheaded by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Lower Colorado River Authority, the task force is stopping boats and conducting inspections.
Aided by local police and deputies, these patrols are searching for equipment and safety violations, as well as for intoxicated boat operators.
Under the law, the officers don’t need a reason to stop a boat. They can check for life jackets and licenses.
And most important, they’re checking for boating-while-intoxicated cases and evidence of alcohol abuse.
Dozens of officers comprise the BWI/driving-while-intoxicated task force, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The police also are enforcing a no-refusal policy, stating that if operators decline a sobriety test, officers can get a warrant that forces the suspect to submit to a blood draw to determine alcohol levels.
So, if a patrol comes alongside your boat, you have choices: submit to a sobriety test, perform a Breathalyzer test or give a blood sample that will be tested for alcohol intake.
The best option, of course, is to play it safe and not drink at all if you’re going to pilot a boat.
Boat operators, just like the drivers of motor vehicles, should never mix alcohol with travel. If you are operating a boat, you are responsible for the safety of your passengers. Their lives are in your hands.
A first conviction for a boating-while-intoxicated charge is a Class B misdemeanor, according to officials.
A second conviction is a Class A misdemeanor that can bring a $4,000 fine and up to a year in jail.
There’s nothing wrong with having fun on the water. Just act responsibly, and don’t pilot a boat while drunk.