With Summer Beginning, Stricter Pennsylvania Boating Under the Influence Laws Are Sought After

As summer is starting to kick in, Pennsylvania is beginning to seek changes that can keep people safer while outdoors. Since many people spend their day outdoors during the summer, it is important to keep people safe in the water as they are on the road and in other places.

As a way to keep people safer when it comes to the outdoors in the summertime, Wyland Law Group points out that Pennsylvania is seeking to create stricter laws that are meant to keep people thinking smart and behaving safely. One major issue that occurs outdoors in Pennsylvania during the summertime is boating under the influence!

Boating under the influence has been widely discussed in the state as it is important to make sure people are staying safe at all times. When it comes to boating under the influence, there are many aspects to discuss. Some aspects that should be highlighted when it comes to boating under the influence and people’s safety outdoors in Pennsylvania include:

  • Boating Under The Influence

  • Risks Of Boating Under The Influence

  • How It Affects People Who Love Boating

  • Reasons Stricter Laws Are Needed

  • New Bill Being Sought After

  • Issues That Are Leading To The New Bill

  • Other States With Strict BUI Laws

  • The Importance Of Stricter BUI Laws

Pennsylvania Boating Under The Influence

Boating under the influence is a crime where someone operates a boat or watercraft while they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Similar to driving under the influence (DUI), boating under the influence (BUI) is a huge problem during the summertime in Pennsylvania. Boating under the influence is a nationwide issue that many states handle very differently. Some states have stricter laws than others when it comes to BUI. 

Risks Of Boating Under The Influence

While boating itself is safe to do, it comes with many risks when it is combined with alcohol or drugs. Boating under the influence is such a serious matter as it comes along with many risks that put people in dangerous situations. Boating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can leave the boat driver and riders in danger. If you are trying to operate a watercraft while you are under the influence, you will face many serious risks, such as falling in the water and drowning, or even losing your life! While boating under the influence is never a good idea, a law firm like Wyland Law Group can help you if you are charged with BUI.

How It Affects People Who Love Boating

Boating under the influence does not only put you in harmful situations, but it also affects other people as well and can put them in dangerous situations. When people go out for boating, they are just trying to enjoy their favorite hobby in the beautiful outdoors, but that is ruined when people start drinking and using drugs and making the situation dangerous. This makes many people either feel unsafe and have to stay indoors, or they continue boating as well and risk losing their life due to someone else.

Reasons Stricter Laws Are Needed

Stricter laws are needed for Pennsylvania boating under the influence to keep people safe while they are operating a watercraft outdoors. People should never be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while operating a watercraft as it can turn the fun situation into a dangerous one for boat operators, the passengers, and other boaters in the water. There are currently many loopholes in the system to make many people in Pennsylvania get away with BUI.

New Bill Being Sought After

Since driving under the influence can be so dangerous and life-threatening for so many people, a new bill is being sought after to be put in place as a way to make boating safer for people in Pennsylvania. Similar to DUI laws, Pennsylvania boating under the influence laws should be very similar, according to officials in Pennsylvania and many other states.

In the new bill, they are wanting to count BUI and DUI offenses together as a way to make boating under the influence stricter. The same consequences that are given for a DUI are being sought after when it comes to a BUI as they would basically work very similarly. Since both DUI and BUI can lead to the same consequences, it is important to treat them the same as well. This means that a BUI can prevent your ability to drive on the road by revoking your driver’s license.

Issues That Are Leading To The New Bill

With people constantly getting injured due to boating under the influence, it is leading to the need for the new bill to be put in place to have stricter laws against operating a watercraft while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Facts and statistics have even shown how necessary the new bill is! According to the U.S. coast guard, a 2019 report shows that about 23 percent of boating deaths were alcohol-related. This is an unreasonable number that shows a change is needed. On top of this statistic, about 20 to 25 percent of boating fatalities over the last 5 years in Pennsylvania has been a result due to alcohol. 

Other States With Strict BUI Laws

Strict boating under the influence laws is nothing new to the United States. Many states already have these strict laws in place, and Pennsylvania is just seeking to follow their footsteps. Other states that already have strict BUI laws where your driver’s license can be revoked include Alaska, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, Texas, and Utah.

The Importance Of Stricter Pennsylvania Boating Under the Influence Laws

Stricter boating under the influence laws is important to put in place as many people are being injured or killed regularly due to boating while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Pennsylvania wants to put stricter BUI laws in place to help prevent people from these reoccurring injuries and accidents.