Sidebar 1:

2007 OHIO BOATING FACTS

• Property damage to boats involved in accidents last year topped $2 million.

• The majority of boat operators involved in reportable accidents reported they had never taken or completed an approved boater safety course.

• The average age of boat operators involved in accidents in Ohio last year was 41 years (JetSki operators was 31.3 years).

Sidebar 2:

ONLINE RESOURCES

• U.S. alcohol-related boating fatalities 1987-2004 (see pages 3-5): www.alcoholstats.com/mm/docs/2029.pdf
• Alcohol-related boating accidents (per capita by state): www.statemaster.com/graph/trn_rec_boa_acc_alc_rel_percap-accidents-alcohol-related-per-capita
• Alcohol-related boating fatalities by state: www.statemaster.com/graph/trn_rec_boa_acc_dea_in_alc_rel_eve-accidents-deaths-alcohol-retated-events
• Alcohol-related boating injuries by state:
• www.statemaster.com/graph/trn_rec_boa_alc_inj_in_alc_rel_eve-accidents-injuries-alcohol-related-events
• U.S. Coast Guard recreational boating accidents reports: http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_stats.htm
• Ohio Fatal Boating Accidents 2001-2007 YTD: www.dnr.state.oh.us/watercraft/statistics/fatals01-07/tabid/2125/default.aspx
• OII/ODNR joint release, May 2008: “Ohio boating season underway: Boater and watercraft reminders provided
• www.ohioinsurance.org/newsroom/newsroom_full.asp?id=465
  

STORY:

With the three-day July 4th holiday weekend approaching, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft (ODNR-Watercraft) and the Ohio Insurance Institute (OIl) encourage boaters to keep it safe and sober on Ohio lakes and waterways.

One hundred fifty-five boating accidents were reported in Ohio in 2007 causing 80 injuries and 14 fatalities. There were 143 boating accidents reported in 2006, killing 12 and injuring 79. The leading type of reported boating accident in 2007 was collision with a vessel, with such incidents resulting in more than $1 million in property damage.

Passenger/skier behavior and operator inexperience were tied as leading causes of all boating accidents last year on Ohio waterways.

Alcohol use was reported as the primary causative factor in 11 percent of the recreational boating injuries and 21 percent of the recreational boating fatalities in 2007.

“A longer holiday weekend tends to draw more boaters to the water, increasing the risk of boating and drinking incidents,” said John Wisse, assistant manager of the ODNR Division of Watercraft’s public information and education section.

The U.S. Coast Guard reports alcohol use is either a direct or contributing factor in about one-fifth of all boating fatalities and is one of the top contributing factors in all boating accidents.

In addition to state watercraft officers, some local law enforcement agencies also patrol Ohio waterways and can make arrests for impaired boating. Ohio watercraft officers made 80 arrests in 2007 for operating a boat while impaired (also known as BUI).

Boat operators are considered legally impaired while operating a boat in Ohio if their blood alcohol content (BAC) is .08 or greater.

“On-water enforcement officers may administer sobriety tests to boaters to determine blood levels of alcohol similar to Ohio sobriety tests administered to motorists,” said Daniel J. Kelso. OIl president. “Boaters found with BAC levels of .08 percent or higher are subject to arrest, the same as operators of motor vehicles.”

For more information on Ohio boating laws, including operating under the influence, go to www.dnr.state.oh.us/watercraft/opsguide/ohoplaws/tabid/2753/Default.aspx.

In addition to boating alcohol-free, ODNR and OIl recommend that all boaters wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets anytime while boating and to keep an eye on other boaters and swimmers during one of Ohio’s busiest weekends on the water. Ohio law requires children under the age of 10 to wear life jackets on watercraft less than 18 feet long while in operation.

For boating safety tips, education programs, boating rules and requirements, launch ramp locations and boating destinations, visit ODNR-Watercraft’s Web site at www.ohiodnr.gov/watercraft/tabid/2062/default.aspx.

The ODNR Division of Watercraft provides a variety of boating, education and safety-related services for users of Ohio’s waterways. OIl is a trade association representing insurance companies and agent groups for the property/casualty industry. Its main objective is to increase understanding of insurance and related safety issues.

Source : http://www.wnewsj.com