First day of summer brings sobering reminder for boaters

The first official day of summer means boating season is well underway and York Regional Police are doing their part to keep sober boaters on the water.

The first official day of summer means boating season is well underway and York Regional Police (YRP) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) are doing their part in reminding the public to not drink and drive, including on the water.

“It’s important to raise awareness about being impaired by drugs or alcohol and operating a vehicle, whether it’s a boat or a car, is still catastrophic when there are crashes,” said Rebecca Blight, president MADD York Region.

YRP and MADD have once again partnered up and put signs under bridges on waterways to remind boaters to not drive impaired.

“The sign that’s under the bridge reminds boaters to do two things, one call 911 if they suspect that there’s an impaired boater, and to remind boaters not to consume alcohol or drugs prior to getting into a boat or while they’re operating a boat,” said Russ Bellman, superintendent of support services for YRP.

Blight added rules are the same for drivers and boaters.

“People think that when they’re on a boat the laws really don’t apply to them - it’s still the same, you still are impaired, whether it’s drugs or alcohol,” said Blight. “It can be more dangerous to do that because you’re on a body of water.”

Blight added that impaired driving creates a ripple effect that touches entire families and communities.

“It’s not just that person that’s involved, it’s their mother, their sister, their sister’s friend, their best friend, their dad, their dad’s friend,” said Blight.

YRP is reminding all boaters be proactive when it comes to safety on the water.

“Wear an approved life-jacket, have the right safety equipment on, tell people when you’re out on the water, tell somebody where you’re going, and when you’re going to be back,” said Bellman.

Officers will be patrolling Lake Simcoe, cracking down on boaters under the influence this summer.

Police remind the public that on the water, the rules are the same as on the road — if you boat impaired, you’ll face the same serious charges as impaired driving.