Many people are likely to be on the water this Labor Day weekend and as summer comes to a close, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol said there are many ways for boaters to keep themselves – and others – safe.
There were 30 boat crashes involving alcohol in 2022, according to the MSHP, and while that number is smaller than the total number of crashes not involving alcohol – a much higher rate of these crashes were fatal.
A BWI, or boating while intoxicated, charge is given to someone captaining a boat with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher.
Sergeant Kyle Green, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said BWI charges can lead to jail time and, at least, a $500 fine.
"But the thing that you have to really worry about in those situations isn't so much just the arrest and having to pay the fine, it's the fact that you can injure or kill yourself or somebody else out there," Green said.
Green encouraged boaters to plan ahead and identify a sober captain before drinking.
He added that if anyone see concerning behavior on the water to contact the state highway patrol by dialing *55.
