Stay Safe on Your Boat This Memorial Day Weekend
| May 21st, 2018
Memorial Day is Monday, May 28, and that means this upcoming weekend is one of the biggest boating weekends of the year. If you’re a boat owner, you may already have plans to spend the day on the water. But with so many other vessels around, it’s important to keep a few important safety tips in mind throughout the day, including:- Don’t operate your boat after consuming alcohol. Safe boating requires a sober mind and body. As with driving a vehicle, safely operating a boat and consuming alcohol just don’t mix. California’s legal limit for alcohol intoxication while operating a boat is 0.08 percent—the same as it is for driving a car, truck, or SUV.
- Avoid distractions while your boat is in motion. Boating is a social activity, and it’s common for boat owners to have multiple passengers on their boats when they take them out into the water. But the more passengers you have, the greater your risk of being distracted. When you’re operating your boat, stay focused on where you’re going and getting there as safely as possible.
- Stay home if the weather or water aren’t cooperating. Boating can be dangerous during inclement weather or in choppy and rough water. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and tide conditions before you head out on your boat, and if conditions look too rough, stay home—it could save your life.
