Local police are teaming up with the Canadian Safe Boating Council for Operation Dry Water this long weekend.
The Canadian Safe Boating Council, OPP and Woodstock Police are reminding boaters to stay sober on the water this long weekend.
Police will be out in full force on the waterways this weekend with Operation Dry Water. Director of the Safe Canadian Boating council Ian Gilson explains why they are really hammering home this message right now.
"Statistics show that relatively speaking that 40 percent of boating related fatalities involve alcohol in one way or the other and that is just way to high. It's like we are fighting a cultural battle, it's deeply engrained in our culture that kicking back, enjoying the water, just isn't complete without having alcohol in one way or another out there with you. It's a really dangerous mix because the wind, the waves and the rocking motion while you are out there just really increases the intoxicating factor associated with alcohol and before you know it, people are taking risks that they wouldn't normally take."
Gilson says Operation Dry Water focuses on the potential risks of impaired boating and opportunities to discourage it.
Being charged with Impaired Operation of a Vessel carries the same consequences as Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle.

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