Intoxicated Boating Limit Sinks

Intro: A Senate Commitee votes to sink the legal blood alcohol limit for boaters Monday.

Reed Erickson Reports from the Capitol.

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A bill to bring Boating While Intoxicated or BWI laws in-step with DWI driving laws passed out of Senate Committee Monday.

If adopted the new law lowers the legal blood alcohol limit to point zero eight while driving a boat.

Nick Humphrey with the Missouri Water patrol says boats are just as dangerous as cars but with fewer safety measures like brakes and seatbelts.

Actuality: DWI3.WAV

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Description: Last year we had seven fatalities in the state and of those 7 boating fatalities 100 percent had alcohol involved so we definitely see that there is an issue that probably needs to be addressed and thats why we hope through this legislation we can reduce the number of those fatalities.

The Bill still faces a vote by the full Senate.

At the Capitol, Reed Erickson, KMOX News.

Intro: The Senate Finance Committee passed changes to sober up boating on Missouri waterways Monday.

Reed Erickson Reports from the statehouse.

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Boat captains in Missouri may find it takes less to stay legal on the water.

Legislation approved in the Finance Committee changes the legal blood alcohol limit from point one zero to point zero eight.

Nick Lieutenant Humphrey says all of the state's seven boating fatalities last year involved alcohol.

Humphrey says using boats for recreation doesn't make them less dangerous.

Actuality: DWI5.WAV

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Description: Boats are just as powerful as cars with much less safety equipment on board such as airbags or seatbelts or brakes. So I think all of that factor in to make this bill very important.

For it to float, the bill still must face a full vote in the Senate.

At the Statehouse I'm Reed Erickson, KMOX News

Intro: The Senate Financial Committee anchored lower blood alcohol limits for boaters Monday.

Reed Erickson reports from the Jefferson City.

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A bill to lower the legal blood alcohol limit from point one zero to point zero eight passed out of the Committee.

According to Lieutenant Nick Humphrey of the Missouri Water Patrol all of the states seven boating related deaths last year involved Alcohol on the Water.

He says boats are just as powerful as cars but with fewer safety measures.

Actuality: DWI4.WAV

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Description: Having to tell them their loved one is dead because of a boating accident it doesn't give them any comfort if I tell them oh the person who hit them, who was drunk was just recreating.

The bill still faces a full senate vote.

At the state capitol, Reed Erickson KMOX News.