Video and story here:
Man arrested for driving boat packed full of children drunk | 7online.com
Great to see the police stepping up enforcement in the wake of the July 4th tragedy. The reality is there is a lot of money very little sense in the New York area. There was also another recent accident where a high performance boat hit a sportfish and a passenger on the sportfish died. The owner of the speedboat was intoxicated.
Sad end: Searchers find man's body after drunken boat crash - NYPOST.com
I hope that Suffolk and Nassau counties will start prosecuting to the fullest extent they can. The reality is that very few of these charges ever end in convictions. If we could actually hold people responsible it will hopefully increase awareness and make people think twice before doing stupid things.
New York law prohibits reckless operation of a vessel. Reckless operation of a vessel is that which unreasonably interferes with the free and proper use of the navigable waters of the state or unreasonably endangers any other vessel or person. The following are some examples of reckless operation.
◆ Failure to Regulate Speed is going faster than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions (vessel traffic, weather, closeness to shore, etc.) or not having regard for actual or potential hazards. Some examples are:
• Operating at an excessive speed in the vicinity of other vessels or in
Remember ...
As the owner of a vessel, you may be held liable for the unlawful operation of your vessel by others.
dangerous waters
• Operating at greater than "slow, no wake speed" in any posted "no wake" zone
• Operating at greater than the posted speed limit on any body of water • Operating at a speed that causes damage from the wake of your vessel
◆ Improper Distance is operating a vessel at greater than five miles per hour when operating within 100 feet of:
• The shore
• A dock or pier
• A raft or float
• An anchored or moored vessel
◆ Riding on the Bow, Deck, or Gunwale is allowing passengers to ride on the
bow, gunwale, transom, seat backs, seats on raised decks, or any other place
that is not equipped with fixed seating and there may be a chance of falling overboard. This does not apply to persons involved with mooring, anchoring, or handling the sails of a vessel.
◆ Reckless Operation are other acts which disregard the safety of yourself and/or others:
• Jumping the wake of another vessel too close to that vessel
• Weaving through congested traffic
• Swerving at the last minute to avoid a collision
• Overloading the vessel beyond the recommended capacity shown on the
capacity plate installed by the vessel manufacturer
◆ Unsafe Condition is operating a vessel in a condition that causes a hazard
to the occupants or others on the waterways. Law enforcement officers
may instruct the operator to immediately return to the nearest dock or safe anchorage, and the operator may not continue operating until the condition is corrected. Examples of conditions that are considered unsafe operation include: • There are insufficient personal flotation devices, fire extinguishers, backfire
flame arrestors, ventilation systems, or navigation lights.
• The boat is overloaded or overpowered.
• The operator is intoxicated.