BOAT SMART, BOAT SAFE THIS JULY 4 WEEKEND

Richmond, VA — With the upcoming July 4 Holiday weekend, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) reminds all boaters to take the time to be safe on the water.

According to Virginia's Boating Education Coordinator Jeff Decker, "Boaters are required by law to equip their vessels with a wearable life jacket for each person on board and to have the life jackets readily accessible. Our best advice for a safe trip on the water is for boaters always to wear their life jackets." The new inflatable life jackets are comfortable and easy to wear. A tip offered by VDGIF is for parents to let their children pick out their own life jackets from the many designs available. This increases the child's enthusiasm for wearing it and ensures a proper fit.

The Commonwealth of Virginia requires personal watercraft (PWC) operators, passengers and skiers to wear life jackets at all times while the PWC is underway. The sport of riding a PWC often causes the riders to end up in the water, but PWC riders — because they are wearing life jackets — seldom drown. Last year, 14 of the 20 boating fatalities that occurred in Virginia may have been prevented had those individuals been wearing life jackets.

The Department also reminds boaters that they should boat sober. If boaters choose to include alcohol in their day, they should have a designated operator who does not drink. The penalties for Boating Under the Influence (BUI) include fines up to $2,500; imprisonment up to 12 months; revocation of privilege to operate a watercraft on the waters of the state up to a three-year period; and enrollment in The Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program. BUI convictions are reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Effective July 1, 2005, boaters who are operating under the influence and cause the death of another can be charged with manslaughter.

Boaters are also strongly encouraged to take a boating safety course. Why? Because the course gives longtime boaters a refresher on new laws and helps new boaters learn the rules of the waterway. Taking a course better prepares boaters for emergency situations and increases their knowledge about safety equipment requirements. To find out about boating education and boating laws, visit the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Web site at www.dgif.virginia.gov.

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