Boating season opens, but new drinking law not yet afloat

This holiday weekend marks the start of Iowa’s boating season, although a new law cracking down on intoxicated boat operators won’t take effect until July. One state official reminds, it -is- still against the law to run a boat while drunk.Sonny Satre is recreational safety coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He says the law that takes effect July first is much like the the “Operating While Intoxicated” or O-W-I law for motorists. It sets up a point-one blood-alcohol limit and brings new penalties for convicted drunk boaters. Satre says people should check out their boat’s safety equipment before taking it out, things like the fire extinguisher, the lights, and especially the life jackets.Last year in Iowa, there were 86 boating accidents resulting in 61 injuries and six fatalities. There are 225-thousand boat operators in Iowa.