Missouri currently has a blood alcohol limit on some lakes and rivers across the state. One Missouri lawmaker wants to have that limit placed on motorized vessels across all Missouri lakes and rivers.
“This bill would make things more consistent,” said Rep. Steve Cookson (R) Fairdealing.
He introduced the bill after a fatal boating accident in his district on the Current River, one not currently mandated by state BWI levels.
“They have to navigate in very narrow shoots and around blind corners,” Cookson said.
The legislation would extend drunk boating penalties on all Missouri waterways. A single offense with a blood alcohol content higher than .08 is a Class B misdemeanor. Multiple offenses can run to a Class D felony.
“The bill excludes certain small bodies of water that none of us want to have enforceable, like farm ponds or very small lakes,” said Maj. Tommy Roam, of the Missouri Highway Patrol Water Patrol Division.
Currently, Missouri does not require a boating license, but for those born after 1983, a boater’s certification card is required.
“For so long, I felt like we needed to tie in that driver’s license, even though it’s not directly related to boating,” Rep. Don Phillips (R) Kimberly City, said.
The legislation is still a work in progress and could go beyond extending a motorist’s implied consent for BAC testing to the boating public. It may be drafted to require that a boat driver hold a roadway driver’s license, or than motorist driver's license be penalized for boating violations.
The implied consent rule for road driving allows authorities to assess driver’s license points and to suspend or revoke a driver’s license.
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