Missouri Water Patrol cracked down on violations of new drinking law over Holiday weekend

Springfield, MO

For some the 4th of July includes a little too much celebration, the kind that can land them behind bars.

And for boaters it's now easier to end up there.

Last August the blood alcohol content limit for boat operators was dropped from .1 to .08, the same max for drivers on our roads.

Sp far this summer the Missouri Water Patrol has issued over 50 more DWI citations than this time last summer.

And on the first 4th of July since the change, officers geared up for more.

Next to fireworks, an afternoon on Table Rock Lake is the Ozarkers' act of patriotism.

One boater explains, “I come down here every weekend. There are a lot of people. You've got to get out there early to find a spot on the lake.”

Especially on the 4th of July- this 4th of July.

Falling on a weekend, record crowds are expected to be making waves.

Says Corporal Mike McClure with the Missouri Water Patrol, “Recreational boating, tubing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, personal watercraft activities,” you’ll see them all on Table Rock Lake.

You’ll probably also see some of the people doing them down a drink or two.

So McClure expects make a few DWI arrests this holiday weekend, in fact, that expectation has led to an increase in enforcement.
“The potential is there."

The lowering of the legal drinking limit for boat operators last August has correlated with more DWI citations on the lake.

Drinkers that were legal before are now breaking the law, and that has boaters in favor of the change feeling safer on the water.

“Driving a boat is just as dangerous as driving a car, if not more dangerous because there are no lines out there,” says boater Seth Cross.

Still, some consider cracking open a beer at the helm an act of patriotism too, one that- ironically, and now more easily- could result in a loss of independence.

Says McClure, “If they're violation of the law and they're caught, subsequent to being stopped, and they are under the influence of alcohol they're going to jail."

The punishment for a boating DWI is identical to a driving DWI, although there’s no license to be lost.

The third offense if felony.

Since there's no open container law on boats, the water patrol has to see a violation and therefore have a probable cause to stop a boater, not just see an alcoholic beverage.

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Lake Saint Louis police to step up DWI patrols over holiday weekend

Lake St. Louis, MO

Lake Saint Louis police will increase enforcement this Fourth of July weekend when it comes to stopping impaired motorists and boaters.

"We are working with other criminal justice agencies to protect Lake Saint Louis citizens from impaired drivers," Police Chief Michael Force said in a release. "We will patrol area roadways and lakes to arrest impaired drivers and will do everything we can to see that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

At a minimum, impaired drivers could lose their license and face high fines and court costs in addition to attorney fees, Force said. At the worst, they could go to jail for vehicular manslaughter or homicide, he added.

"Our goal is to prevent that from happening," Force said.

The Lake Saint Louis Community Association Water Patrol and the Lake Saint Louis Police Department have partnered to address the issue of intoxicated boaters on the city's lakes, Force said in a release. This partnership will place police officers alongside Water Patrol authorities to target intoxicated boaters.

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New laws target drunken and reckless boaters

Lake of the Ozarks, MO

Boaters must follow new laws on the water this Labor Day weekend. Missouri Water Patrol officers will be watching for drinking and speeding. It's an effort to reduce accidents tied to alcohol, as well as recklessness on the water.

The enforcement efforts will include sobriety checkpoints to enforce a new lowered maximum blood alcohol level for pilots. The legal limit as of Aug. 28 is .08 percent, down from .10 percent. That means the limit is the same as for drivers.

Last summer was the deadliest in the history of Lake of the Ozarks. Eight people drowned before Labor Day and alcohol was a factor in all but one of those deaths. Over all, the Water Patrol says drunken pilots cause nearly half of all boating deaths.

The new law also targets careless and reckless boating. After dusk, the speed limit for all boating areas is now 30 miles per hour. Pilots also have to slow down around Water Patrol vessels and any emergency crews.

Water Patrol Capt. Gary Haupt hopes the new rules will make lakes and rivers safer for families this Labor Day weekend and all year round.

So far this year, the Water Patrol says Lake of the Ozarks has had five deadly accidents. Overall though, the boating injury accidents are down from this year throughout Missouri.

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Missouri boating while intoxicated (BWI) standard drops to 0.08 percent

Jefferson City, MO

Gov. Matt Blunt has approved tougher rules for boating while intoxicated, making the threshold for drunken boating on lakes and major rivers the same as for motorists.

The governor signed legislation that lowers the legal blood-alcohol limit to 0.08 percent, which has been the limit for roadways since 2001. Blunt signed the bill at the Lake of the Ozarks, a popular vacation destination that's become known for large boats and a raunchy "Party Cove."

But Independence Day revealers from across the Midwest who flock to the lake won't have to worry about drinking less until next year. That's because the lower legal blood-alcohol limit won't take effect until Aug. 28 when the summer boating season is almost over.

In a written statement, Blunt said the same standard should apply for motorists and boaters.

Water Patrol spokesman Sgt. Jerry Callahan said that, except for coordinated drunken boating checkpoints, police generally identify drunken boaters after stopping them for another violation.

Callahan said the lower blood-alcohol threshold would give officers more time after identifying a drunken boater, which is important in those types of cases.

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