It is that time of year when many are making plans for vacations and summer fun. For some that means enjoying a week on a beach in some tropical locale but for many of us it means enjoying some of the recreation areas that our state has to offer. Water activities are a popular option and local lakes like Mozingo or Big Lake may become especially popular as gas prices inhibit travel to some of the bigger lakes in our state. As we plan to enjoy some well-deserved time away from work, it is important to put safety first with everything we do.
Our lakes and rivers provide a natural vacation destination for Missourians, however, these spots for family fun can also become dangerous when irresponsible consumption of alcohol is added to the mix. Alcohol has played a part in far too many of the boating accidents and fatalities we have seen in recent years and part of the problem has been that our legal intoxication limit for boating is not in line with the similar requirements we have for driving. Fortunately, legislation we passed this year makes that much-needed change to enforce the same limit for boating as we do for motorists on our roadways.
House Bill 1715 lowers our legal intoxication limit for boating from .1 of one percent to .08 of one percent. With this we create consistency with all legal limits for operating a vehicle. We hope this will help reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents on our waterways just as it has on roads and highways. In addition, the law clarifies the definitions of persistent and chronic offenders and ensures those who repeatedly offend will not get off easy.
I also want to mention another piece of legislation signed into law this month that will help reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents on our roadways. Senate Bill 930 requires repeat drunk driving offenders to have an ignition interlock device placed on their vehicle before they can regain their driving privileges from the Missouri Department of Revenue. These devices are proven to be effective as they won’t allow an individual who has consumed a dangerous level of alcohol to start his or her vehicle. While this is a method the court system has as an option for repeat offenders, our new law makes it mandatory and shifts the responsibility to our Department of Revenue. This change should help keep dangerous drunk drivers off our roadways and make traveling in our state even safer.
With both of these bills we can take comfort in the fact that Missouri is sending a strong message to those who operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. We want Missouri to be a safe vacation spot for our residents as well as visitors from outside our borders. May your travels this summer be safe and enjoyable.
If you have questions, you may reach me at my Capitol number 573-751-9465, at the local district number, 660-582-4014, by email at mike.thomson@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 406A State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
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