Missouri Seeks to Strengthen BWI Laws

First posted on 12-11-2006

Law enforcement statistics rank Missouri first in the nation for boating while intoxicated arrests last year with 480. North Carolina was second with 470, Florida third with 438 and California fourth with 418.

The Missouri Water Patrol would like to toughen Missouri’s BWI laws even further. The organization is in pursuit of lowering the legal blood alcohol limit level to .08 from .10 – the same as on Missouri’s highways. Governor Blunt has approved the move and a bill sponsor is being sought by the Patrol.

Additionally, the Water Patrol would like to stiffen penalties for repeat offenders to drive home the message that boating while intoxicated will not be tolerated on Missouri’s waterways.

According to Water Patrol Captain Matt Walz, Lake of the Ozarks alone had 10 fatalities last year with half of those involving “individuals consuming alcohol and/or drugs who fell off boats or docks and drowned.” Lowering the blood alcohol level will give the Patrol more enforcement power to get drunk drivers off the lake.