Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Alcohol and Drugs
Rhode Island law prohibits anyone from boating while intoxicated
(BWI). This includes the operation of any powerboat, sailboat,
personal watercraft, water skis, sailboard, or similar device.
Intoxicated means a person is under the influence of alcohol, a
controlled substance, or drugs such that his or her thoughts or
actions are impaired, causing a danger to others. Alcohol and drugs
cause impaired balance, blurred vision, poor coordination, impaired
judgment, and slower reaction time. Alcohol contributes to about
one-third of all fatal boating accidents nationwide. Read
more about the effects and risks of consuming alcohol.
Rhode Island law sets the blood alcohol limit for boating
while intoxicated at .08 percent or greater. Penalties are set
according to the level of alcohol that is detected.
Rhode Island law establishes the following penalties for boating
while intoxicated.
- First conviction for offenders with a BAC less than 0.10 percent
carries a fine of up to $250, required community service of up
to 60 days, loss of operating privileges for up to 45 days, and
required attendance of a special course on BWI.
- Convictions for offenders with a BAC of 0.10 percent or greater
carry more severe penalties, including imprisonment.
- Subsequent convictions within a five-year period carry much
more severe penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years
and seizure of the offender’s vessel.
By operating a vessel on Rhode Island waters,
you have consented to be tested for alcohol and/or drugs if requested
by a law enforcement official. Refusal to submit to testing carries
a fine of $300 or more and loss of operating privileges for at
least one year.
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Areas of Impairment Due to Blood Alcohol
Concentration (BAC)
Because you can drink faster than your system can burn
off the alcohol, there is an increasing level of alcohol in your blood.
This level is referred to as Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). |
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