Oklahoma Boaters Face Reduced Blood Alcohol Levels
Boaters in Oklahoma may soon have to be more cautious when drinking beer while on the water. Why? Because the Senate wants safer waterways.
In Oklahoma, new legislation has been approved, which lowers the legal blood alcohol concentration limit in order to be convicted of boating under the influence has been reduced from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent.
The measure, Senate Bill 902, was authored by Senator Bill Brown (R – Broken Arrow) who said that the legislature needed to take action, making the state's boating laws stricter in order to reduce watercraft-related accidents, some of which result in death.
According to Senator Brown, the leading factor in fatal boating accidents, including several recent high profile cases in Oklahoma, is alcohol use.
In addition to lowering the legal blood alcohol limit, Brown's measure makes it illegal for children below the age of twelve to operate personal watercraft.
Now that the Senate has approved SB 902, it will advance to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
