Personal Injury Law

Boating Accidents and Boating under the Influence

By LaBovick Law

While DUI arrests and convictions get a lot of attention in the state of Florida, BUI - or boating under the influence - arrests don't. The interesting thing about that fact is that Florida has the highest number of registered vessels in the country. In 2009, 982,470 vessels were registered in the state of Florida - that's according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC. With so many boats out on the water at any given time, it's surprising to learn that BUIs don't occur at much higher rates. 

Boating Accidents in Florida

In the year 2009, there were 620 reported boating accidents in the state of Florida. In terms of fatalities, falls overboard were the biggest culprits. 20 of the fatal accidents, or 39% of them, were caused by falls overboard; 69% of all fatal accidents involved drowning. Out of all of those numbers, only 18.5% of reported fatalities were directly linked to drugs or alcohol. Still, there is no question that mixing drinking, drugs and boating is never a good idea. Fortunately, law enforcement around the state puts forth diligent efforts to keep such incidents at bay.

BUIs in Florida

Over the July 4 holiday in 2010 in Palm Beach County, the FWC checked approximately 400 vessels out on the water. At the same time, they interviewed around 1,000 people, Despite their careful investigation, they didn't make a single arrest. In 2009, only four arrests were made across the state for BUI; in 2010, the number was only seven. Is the surprisingly low number of BUI arrests due to the diligent efforts of law enforcement, or is it because people are somehow better able to get away with it?

How BUIs are Handled

BUIs are handled in a manner that is quite similar to their DUI counterparts. If an officer is patrolling the water and suspects a boater of being intoxicated, a preliminary sobriety test on the boat, may be administered. If further cause for investigation is warranted, the suspect will be given another set of field sobriety tests on land. From there, the process is quite similar to that of a DUI arrest. The number of BUI incidents in the state of Florida, could lower.

As a Florida Maritme Law Firm, we encourage you to remember, when you are out on the water in your boat, safety should always come first.

Full post as published by LaBovick Injury Law Blog on March 01, 2011 (boomark / email).