PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island is cracking down on impaired boating this weekend.
The state Department of Environmental Management is partnering with the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies this weekend for the Operation Dry Water campaign– a national crackdown on impaired boating.
The agency’s law enforcement will be conducting increased patrols from Friday through Sunday and monitoring for boaters who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
DEM officials say the effects of impairment on the water can be “severe” since boaters tend to have far less experience operating a boat than an automobile.
The Coast Guard has found that alcohol use is the leading cause of recreational boating deaths– 15 percent of all recreational boating fatalities nationwide are attributed to alcohol use.
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