Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-5698
For Immediate Release: January 24, 2008
Senator Bill Brown
Brown Introduces Measure to Add Boating Under the Influence (BUI)
Violations to Driving Records
State Senator Bill
Brown wants to reduce the number of alcohol- and other intoxicating
substance-related deaths and accidents on Oklahoma’s lakes
and rivers. He hopes to do this through Senate Bill 1140 which
would require a conviction of boating while under the influence
(BUI) to be made part of an individual’s driving record.
“We already have this law in effect for people who drive
motor vehicles while under the influence, why should it be any
different for watercraft? They are just as dangerous as vehicles,
if not more so,” said Brown, R-Broken Arrow. “Boating
under the influence is illegal, but we need to add some teeth
to the law because obviously the punishments are not harsh enough
to stop people from loading up the ice chest and hitting the waves.”
Under the provisions of the bill, a BUI violation would be treated
in a similar manner as a DUI offense for motor vehicles. Besides
being made part of a person’s driving record, the BUI violation
would also be taken into account for determining the punishment
for multiple violations that could escalate to a penalty of a
felony. Such a violation would also be considered when determining
the requirement for undergoing a drug or alcohol evaluation program.
“People don’t seem to think about the effect alcohol
has on them while on the water and research shows that the effects
are much greater and more dangerous in the water than on land,”
said Brown. “The effect of alcohol is magnified when on
the water because an individual is dealing with dehydration and
exposure to the sun, wind and waves.”
According to the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, approximately
one-third the amount of alcohol needed to reach a state of legal
intoxication, which is ten-hundredths of a percent in a vessel,
will cause symptoms of intoxication equal to a blood-alcohol level
far exceeding the true measurable level. Those symptoms include
poor coordination, delayed reaction time, difficulty in multi-tasking
and inattention.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, alcohol use is the leading
contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; accounting for
nearly twenty percent of all reported fatalities. Nearly 150 people
were killed in 2006 in alcohol-related boating accidents nationwide.
“In 2006, Oklahoma per capita had more water craft-related
accidents, fatal accidents and fatalities stemming from alcohol
use than over half of the other states,” said Brown. “Boating
is big business in our state, just look at the fact that there
are around 217,000 watercraft registered in Oklahoma. Going to
the lake is a major pastime for Oklahomans and we need to put
some teeth in our current laws to ensure that everyone has everyone
has a safe and enjoyable time on the water.”
If approved by both chambers and signed by the Governor, the measure
would go into effect November 1, 2008.
For more information contact:
Senator Brown's Office - (405) 521-5602
