Photo Credit AZGFD - A TEST FOR LIFE -- A boat operator with a blood alcohol concentration above .10 percent is estimated to be more than 10 times as likely to die in a boating accident than an operator with zero blood alcohol concentration.

A boat operator with a blood alcohol concentration above .10 percent is estimated to be more than 10 times as likely to die in a boating accident than an operator with zero blood alcohol concentration.

It is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in every state.

BUI laws pertain to ALL boats from canoes and rowboats to the largest ships.

Alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision, and reaction time. It can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion.

Sun, wind, noise, vibration, and motion — “stressors” common to the boating environment — intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs, and some medications.

Alcohol consumption can result in inner ear disturbance, which can make it impossible for a person suddenly immersed in water to distinguish up from down.

Impairment can be even more dangerous for boaters than for drivers, since most boaters have less experience and confidence operating a boat than they do driving a car. Boaters average only about 110 hours of boating per year.

Boating Under the Influence puts a boater at risk. The vessel's voyage may be terminated, the boat may be impounded and the operator may be arrested.

Penalties vary by state, but can include fines, jail, and loss of boating or even driving privileges.

Alcohol is dangerous for passengers, too. Intoxication can cause slips, falls overboard, and other dangerous accidents.