Labor Day Weekend Caps Busy Summer For Safety Officials on Central Florida Waterways
The Labor Day weekend traditionally ends the most dangerous time for boaters in Central Florida and throughout the state. The vast majority of boating accidents and the deaths and injuries they cause occur between the busy Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, and officers have been especially diligent about negligent boaters this summer. Over that period of time this past summer, officers arrested no less than 50 boaters for boating while intoxicated in Central Florida, with half of the arrests happening in Volusia County alone.
Officers are out in force looking for boaters operating their watercraft recklessly, and they are aggressively ticketing offenders. Officers report that it is not unusual for them to interact with at least 100 different watercraft each day. Officers with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol report that improving boating safety is actually quite simple.
One officer said, "Ninety-nine percent of it is common courtesy and just common sense."
Officers say that most stops involve warning boaters about minor safety violations, but they are always on the lookout for drunken and reckless boat operators. Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission also patrol waterways in Central Florida. They report that they have also arrested 50 boaters for operating their craft while under the influence of alcohol, with 20 of those arrests also occurring in Volusia County.
Like most Floridians, Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham loves to get out and enjoy our state’s waterways. He would like to remind all Florida boaters to make sure that they take a boating safety course offered by the FFWC, the U.S. Coast Guard or one of the many other organizations that promote boating safety. He also reminds boaters to make sure that all their safety and emergency equipment is working properly and to practice defensive boating at all times.
In addition, Mr. Cunningham would like to remind boaters that if they are injured in an accident caused by a negligent boater, they may be entitled to seek damages to recover medical costs, lost time at work and other costs caused by the accident. To speak with an Orlando personal injury attorney, schedule a free consultation by calling 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 today.
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.