"Boat Safe, Boat Smart, Boat Sober," by Kevin Bergersen
Think a “wolf pack” is a group of wild canines? Think again.
There’s a different kind of wolf pack patrolling our waterways this summer. It’s a boating law enforcement saturation patrol, and it’s on the water for one reason only — to save lives.
Officers from the Arizona Game and Fish Department and other agencies in Arizona and our bordering states of California and Nevada make up these wolf packs and a similar operation, an “operating under the influence checkpoint.”
Why? To detect and remove impaired and unsafe boaters, ultimately making the state’s waterways safe for everyone.
Picture Lake Havasu on a sunny day and you might think of college students with cases of beer on board, racing up and down the waterways. You might say to yourself, “It’s just harmless fun.” But drinking while operating a boat is just as dangerous — and just as illegal — as drinking while driving a car. The legal limit for blood alcohol is .08 in both cases. The penalties are similar, too; like driving under the influence, operating a boat under the influence is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The maximum penalty for a first-time OUI offense is $1,455 and 30 days in jail if the offense is extreme.
Everyone likes to think of boating as a safe activity, and done right, it is. But 14 people died on Arizona waterways last summer. (Four of those fatal accidents involved alcohol.) We want these numbers to be zero. So we go out looking for impaired boat operators who’ve been drinking alcohol. When we stop a boat, we also check for the required safety equipment (see sidebar).
If you’re waved over by an officer during a wolf pack patrol or you enter an OUI checkpoint area while boating Arizona’s waterways this summer, don’t worry — if your boat operator is sober and the boat is safe, we’ll quickly send you on your way again. We’ll assess your boat’s safety equipment to make sure it meets legal requirements. We’ll check the boat’s driver to make sure he or she is not endangering others by operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol. Then we’ll say “Have a nice day” — and we will mean it.
Required Safety Equipment
- PFD or life jacket (Type I, II, III or V) for each person on board. Each must be in good condition, readily accessible and fit the intended wearer. Children 12 and under must wear them while under way.
- Throwable personal flotation device. A Type IV device is required in boats 16 feet and over, but suggested for all boats.
- Fire extinguisher. A Type B-I or B-II must be carried if the boat uses gasoline.
- If running at night, your boat must have navigation lights.
- If towing a skier, you must display a ski flag.
This article was published in the July-August 2007
issue of Arizona Wildlife Views magazine. To subscribe or give a gift, order online or call (800) 777-0015.
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