Operation Summer Safe
Operation Summer Safe, the police crackdown on drinking and boating that began in December last year has now concluded. The skippers of 7922 recreational vessels and 443 commercial vessels were tested.
As a result of those tests 34 recreational skippers and 5 commercial skippers were charged with exceeding the legal limit of 0.05.
Police Minister Judy Spence said yesterday that the skipper of any watercraft - including a jet ski was required to have a blood alcohol level under 0.05 even when the vessel is at anchor.
The worst offender caught in the operation was a commercial skipper from Townsville who returned a reading of 0.20.
While those figures should not raise any alarms – less than 1% of recreational skippers were found to be over the limit there is definitely cause for some concern in other areas.
During Operation Summer Safe water police also issued 1278 Marine Infringement Notices for offences ranging from speeding, driving unlicensed, unsafe activities and unregistered vessels. 458 of those notices were for failing to carry the prescribed safety equipment.
