Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Alcohol and Drugs
Pennsylvania law prohibits anyone from boating while under the
influence (BUI). That is, you may not operate a vessel while you
are intoxicated due to alcohol or any combination of alcohol, controlled
substances, or drugs. Alcohol and drugs cause impaired balance,
blurred vision, poor coordination, impaired judgment, and slower
reaction time. Alcohol contributes to about one-third of all fatal
boating accidents nationwide. Read
more about the effects and risks of consuming alcohol.
Pennsylvania law limits the consumption of alcohol as follows.
- Alcoholic beverages are prohibited on land and water at all
state parks and at most U.S. Army Corps of Engineer projects.
- A person is considered to be over the legal limit if he or
she has a blood alcohol concentration of:
- 0.08% and is 21 years of age or older or …
- 0.02% and is under 21 years of age.
Pennsylvania law establishes the following criminal penalties
if convicted:
- Fines and/or imprisonment can be imposed and …
- The loss of boating privileges for up to one year.
Pre-arrest breath tests may be used by officers to determine
the probability that a vessel operator is under the influence.
|
Areas of Impairment Due to Blood Alcohol
Concentration (BAC)
Because you can drink faster than your system can burn
off the alcohol, there is an increasing level of alcohol in your blood.
This level is referred to as Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). |
|
