Multiagency OUI checkpoint on Colorado River

 

 

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will participate in a multiagency enforcement patrol June 3-5 on the Colorado River, pursuing those who are operating boats and other watercraft while under the influence (OUI) of drugs or alcohol.

AZGFD, together with the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the National Park Service, will be enforcing Arizona's OUI legal limit of a .08 blood-alcohol content.

 

Throughout the weekend, boaters may be required to pass through a checkpoint and be subject to a systematic safety inspection. Operators will be checked for any sign of impairment from alcohol or drugs, and to ensure the required safety equipment, such as proper life jackets and working fire extinguishers, are aboard.

“Our main goal is to ensure people are enjoying our waterways safely and responsibly, and to help avert the next needless accident on the water,” said Brandon Carley, law enforcement supervisor for the department's regional office in Kingman. “The responsibility for boating safety among watercraft users is critically important. We share the river with California and Nevada, and the area is a major draw for people traveling from across the Southwest. Our waterways are very congested this time of year, which lends itself to the potential for additional hazards.”

Carley advises boaters and watercraft users to review all laws and regulations prior to launching. That includes having a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for every person on board and making sure that anyone 12 and under is wearing one at all times. Boats also must be equipped with a fire extinguisher and a throwable personal flotation device (PFD). 

For more information on boating in Arizona, or to sign up for a free safety course, visit www.azgfd.gov/boating.