Law-enforcement agencies across the United States joined forces to increase public awareness about boating under the influence and to remove impaired operators from the water during this year’s annual Operation Dry Water campaign.
During July Fourth weekend, 630 law-enforcement groups deployed 7,865 officers, resulting in 794 BUI arrests. Officers interacted with more than 350,000 boaters while on patrols.
“The significant law-enforcement presence out on the water and the increase in outreach and educational efforts around the Operation Dry Water campaign has provided a safer and more enjoyable environment for recreational boaters,” Susan Stocker, chair of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, said in a statement. “Incidents and fatalities that are a result of boating under the influence are 100 percent preventable, and we want to do everything we can to get everyone home safely after a day on the water.”
In addition to enforcement efforts on the water, NASBLA worked with states, boating safety groups and the Coast Guard to develop and execute Operation Dry Water marketing and outreach efforts.
NASBLA coordinates Operation Dry Water with law-enforcement agencies and outreach partners through a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration trust fund administered by the Coast Guard.
