As summer beams reach their zenith, so does boater activity on Tennessee's waterways, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is once again participating in Operation Dry Water (ODW), a national campaign focused on the reduction of boating under the influence (BUI) incidents. According to the TWRA, the Operation which is a year-round endeavor, will have an intensified presence around the July 4 holiday, coinciding with heightened boater traffic.
During this period, TWRA officers and their comrades in waterway law enforcement will be on the water in greater force than usual, eyes sharp for signs of BUI among operators and passengers, as July 4's festive spirit often leads to an uptick in substance consumption, which carries inherent dangers when mixed with boating.
Lt. Col. Matt Majors of TWRA's Boating and Law Enforcement Division was quoted in the statement, emphasizing the hardline stance the agency takes against BUI: "Boating under the influence is a 100 percent preventable crime that will not be tolerated by wildlife officers," as stated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Partnering with the TWRA in their push for sober boating are the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving; such collaborations are intended to bolster education and enforce the law, particularly since alcohol use remains a predominant factor in recreational boater fatalities, effects of alcohol drugs and some medications can be intensified by the environmental factors associated with boating. The Tennessee state law mirrors road vehicle laws, marking .08 percent Blood Alcohol Content as the line between legal and illegal operation of a watercraft, as detailed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
