“Operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol” is a phrase that will immediately generate images in your mid of drunk people driving cars or trucks. However, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol — or, for that matter, drugs — is not reserved to just motor vehicles on the roads. As many Floridians know, people often operate boats and other water vessels while they are drunk or intoxicated in some way.
In the state of Florida, the laws relating to blood alcohol levels and boating under the influence (BUI) are the same as DUI laws. The state defines an intoxicated boater as someone with a blood alcohol level (BAC) of 0.08 or higher. In addition, the state of Florida has a law that targets minors who operate boats under the influence of alcohol. In these cases, the BAC limit is 0.02.
These rules vary from state to state, but Florida’s laws adhere to a nearly universal set of laws that states follow. Being accused of boating under the influence is a serious charge, just as being accused of driving under the influence is a serious charge.
Having a BUI on your record will leave you with a criminal history, and you will struggle to retain work or find new work in the same way that someone with a DUI on their record would. These allegations are serious, and the accused needs to defend themselves in kind.
Source: FindLaw, “State Boating Under the Influence Blood Alcohol Levels,” Accessed May 12, 2017
