Boating officials warn of syndrome that can mimick drunkeness
With two boating deaths so far this year in Utah, state parks officials are trying to get out the word about how to stay safe on the water. And they're warning about a syndrome that can set in that makes boaters act, in some ways, as if they are drunk.
They call the problem "marine stress." It's a set of factors that can stress out boaters to the point where their behavior is much like being legally drunk, even though they haven't had a drop to drink.
We went boating at East Canyon Reservoir with Chris Haller, Utah's boating education coordinator. Part of his job is to spot safety violations and to spread the word about the obvious problems. The most common violation is a boat speeding within 150 feet of another. The most important safety issue is life jackets. Eighty percent of boating fatalities involve people who aren't wearing them.
A more subtle issue is what Haller calls marine stressors; the wind, the noise, the vibrations of boat and motor, the heat, glare and dehydrating effects of the sun. After several hours, it can dull the brain, slowing down reaction time and impairing judgment just like high blood-alcohol content.
"It's like a .08, which is right at the legal limit for boating, or actually the same as driving under the influence, which is the same as boating under the influence," he said.
2008 has actually been a fairly good year with only two boating deaths so far, compared to five last year and 12 the year before that. But Haller says education is the way to avoid trouble. He recommends drinking lots of water, taking frequent breaks from boating, and always having that life jacket handy if you're not wearing it.
With two boating deaths so far this year in Utah, state parks officials are trying to get out the word about how to stay safe on the water. And they're warning about a syndrome that can set in that makes boaters act, in some ways, as if they are drunk.
They call the problem "marine stress." It's a set of factors that can stress out boaters to the point where their behavior is much like being legally drunk, even though they haven't had a drop to drink.
We went boating at East Canyon Reservoir with Chris Haller, Utah's boating education coordinator. Part of his job is to spot safety violations and to spread the word about the obvious problems. The most common violation is a boat speeding within 150 feet of another. The most important safety issue is life jackets. Eighty percent of boating fatalities involve people who aren't wearing them.
A more subtle issue is what Haller calls marine stressors; the wind, the noise, the vibrations of boat and motor, the heat, glare and dehydrating effects of the sun. After several hours, it can dull the brain, slowing down reaction time and impairing judgment just like high blood-alcohol content.
"It's like a .08, which is right at the legal limit for boating, or actually the same as driving under the influence, which is the same as boating under the influence," he said.
2008 has actually been a fairly good year with only two boating deaths so far, compared to five last year and 12 the year before that. But Haller says education is the way to avoid trouble. He recommends drinking lots of water, taking frequent breaks from boating, and always having that life jacket handy if you're not wearing it.
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