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ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- There are many skills necessary to operate a vehicle properly, including focus, judgement, coordination and reaction timing.
Intoxicating substances can greatly affect these abilities, putting anyone controlling a vehicle or anyone in that vehicle in an unsafe situation. This includes cars, motorcycles and boats.
“Boating under the influence is very similar to a DUI,” said Donna Butte, Drug Demand Reduction program manager. “Law enforcement officials will look for someone who is driving a boat erratically. The operator will be asked to perform field sobriety tests and take a chemical test. Oklahoma law prohibits anyone from operating or being in actual physical control of any vessel while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other intoxicating substances.”
According to Oklahoma law, which became effective in November 2010, a person is under the influence if he or she has “an alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher as measured in the person’s breath or blood or is under the influence of alcohol and any other intoxicating substance to a degree which makes him or her incapable of safely operating the vessel.”
Due to influences of the sun and motions of the vessel, anyone on a boat is more likely to be impaired faster than someone who is not.
Drivers are not the only ones who should remain sober while on the water. Passengers can be arrested for public intoxication and there is zero tolerance for anyone under 21 years old.
Charges related to vehicle operation under the influence of any substance are taken very seriously by law enforcement. Police will be patrolling the waterways, as the likelihood of boating under the influence increases during the warmer weather.
“When you are out on the boat, be careful,” said Butte. “Enjoy the water and leave the alcohol at home.”
For more information, call Drug Demand Reduction office at 580-481-5998.
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2014 16:02 |
| Story ID: | 137882 |
| Location: | ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Altus AFB warns of consuming alcohol while boating, by SrA Jimmie Lee, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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