There is sure to be a lot of traffic on the water this long weekend. The OPP will be cracking down on boaters impaired by drugs or alcohol. “Operation Dry Water” will see officers out across the province looking for boozing boaters.
The OPP investigated 20 fatal boating incidents last year and determined 7 of them involved alcohol or drugs. The Lifesaving Society of Canada estimates that 39 per cent of preventable boating fatalities involve alcohol consumption.
It’s not just the boat’s operator that can’t drink. No one on board is allowed to consume alcohol when a boat is in motion. The consequences are the same as drinking and driving and include license suspensions, fines and even criminal charges.
Police will also be on the lookout for dangerous drivers on the roads this weekend. One law in particular they’ll be looking to make sure drivers obey is the move over law.
That requires motorists to slow down and pass with caution when approaching emergency vehicles stopped on the roadside.
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