Georgia boat operators have a higher blood-alcohol limit than boaters in
other states. Most states enforce .08, the same limit as drivers of cars,
as the legal alcohol maximum, but Georgia allows the legal limit for boat
drivers to be as high as .10.
It’s a strange difference that has some Georgia officials examining
blood-alcohol content laws, according to the AJC.
There are times even when boating can be more dangerous than driving a
car, especially with boats not having brakes and the dangerous conditions
of a lake: wind, vibration, sun, noise, etc.
Earlier this week, a tragic boating accident happened at Lake Lanier.
An apparently drunk man was operating a fishing boat at a high rate of
speed when he crashed head-on into a pontoon boat. The collision happened
between Lake Lanier Islands and Buford Dam around 10:30 p.m.
The pontoon boat was carrying 13 passengers- four adults and nine children.
One boy was sadly pronounced dead on the scene and the boy’s brother
remains missing and is presumed to be dead as well, according to Fox5 Atlanta.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources say that the man driving the
fishing boat could face homicide by vehicle or failure to render aid charges
since he fled to the marina after the crash.
He already has been charged with boating under the influence.