Operating vehicles while intoxicated is a “no-no” on the road, and also on the water. An effort coordinated between the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Coast Guard, the state DNR and others will help emphasize that point during the upcoming July 4th weekend with Operation Dry Water. The three-day weekend will see an increase in outreach, education and enforcement surrounding boating under the influence.
Not only will the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office be out educating boaters on ways to stay safe while on the water, but they also want operators to know that they will be taking enforcement action when necessary. The legal limit for alcohol concentration is the same on the water as on the roads – point zero-eight percent. And although alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in recreational boater deaths and accidents, both legal prescription and illegal drugs can impair safe operation.
The goal, according to the Sheriff, isn’t to catch as many violators as possible, but to reduce the number of alcohol and drug related deaths and accident on waters among boaters, passengers, and swimmers alike.
