Rhode Island Environmental Police are stepping up patrols and safety checks as part of National Safe Boating Week, May 17–23, in partnership with boating safety advocates across the U.S. and Canada.
The campaign — launched ahead of the busy summer boating season — aims to promote safe practices on the water and encourage all boaters to wear life jackets. Officers from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Law Enforcement (DLE) will conduct increased water patrols, safety inspections, and offer educational outreach.
“The key to safe boating is wearing a life jacket,” said DLE Deputy Chief Michael Schipritt. “If someone loses consciousness or can’t swim, a life jacket will keep them afloat. There is no time to put one on during an emergency — just like you wouldn’t try to buckle your seat belt before a car crash.”
The campaign’s theme, Wear It!, is a reminder that life jackets save lives. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 75% of fatal boating accidents involve drowning, and 87% of those victims were not wearing life jackets. Alcohol remains the leading known factor in fatal boating accidents. In Rhode Island, boating under the influence carries the same legal consequences as driving drunk.
New safety rules are in effect this year:
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All paddlers must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while underway.
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Passengers may not ride on a boat’s bow unless proper seating is installed or hang legs over the gunwale.
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Boaters must slow down or move over when emergency vessels with lights activated are within 300 feet.
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Expired fire extinguishers are not allowed on board.
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Captains of boats 26 feet or shorter must use an engine cut-off switch when operating above displacement speed.
For more boating safety info, visit www.dem.ri.gov.
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