Booze & Boating Never Mix

 Booze & Boating Never Mix

Summer is here! With Father's Day this weekend and the Fourth of July right around the corner, it is more important than ever to ensure you are never mixing any imperative substance and motorized vehicles. Across the nation, Americans will be hitting the roads and waterways to celebrate these holidays. With states opening up and Americans returning to a new "normal" of post-pandemic life, travelers can expect roads to be busier than ever. According to the Bureau of Transportation, studies are reporting an expecting 132 Million Americans to travel during the 4th of July holiday week. With 51% of Americans hitting the roads, it is more important than ever to stay safe and sober while operating any motorized vehicle. 

Warm weather also brings many outdoor activities and people turning to waterways to find relief from the heat. Whether you find yourself traveling to waterways to boat, swim or simply enjoy nature, the Palouse Driver Safety team reminds you to travel safe and sober. Many Americans associate outdoor activities like boating and lake days with the consumption of alcohol. 

Alcohol affects operating a vessel, the same way it does any other vehicle. Boating under the influence is extremely dangerous and unfortunately affects many Americans every year. Not only is boating while drinking dangerous, but it is also illegal. In the state of Washington, boating under the influence leads to a BUI (boating under the influence) charge. Legal implications include up to a year in jail and up to a $5,000 fine. Boating while under the influence is extremely dangerous and is a serious crime. This law also applies to everyone on the water, you don't need to be operating a motor-powered speedboat to be charged with a BUI. You may be operating any watercraft and can be charged with a BUI if you are under the influence. Meaning drunk rafters and kayakers may be charged with a BUI too.

If the legal implications weren't enough to deter you from boating and drinking, remember the dangerous consequences. Mixing boating with alcohol is an extremely dangerous combination and can be deadly. A study was done by the Nevada Department of Wildlife showed, " a study of boating fatalities in four states, 51 percent of the people who died had a blood alcohol content of .04 or more. A Blood alcohol of .10 or more was found in 30 percent of the fatalities." Alcohol is a large contributing factor to boating-related deaths. 

It is also important to remember the sun causes you to perspire, which removes the water from your body but leaves the alcohol in; which can lead to impairment quicker. Always designate a sober driver before operating any motorized vehicle. Not only is it extremely dangerous, but it is also the law in every state. Stay safe this summer and have a great Father's Day and Fourth of July holiday! 

Remember to stay up to date with the Palouse Driver Safety campaign by checking out our other blogs, podcasts ( Palouse Driver Safety on Spotify) and following our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Snapchat accounts!

 

Driving & Video Games

 Have you ever wondered, do video games make people better drivers? Well, you wouldn't be the only person who has that thought recently. With the increasing popularity of video games, many people have begun to wonder about how driving games influence drivers. To begin this question we will look at the different types of video game driving that exist.

Here at the Palouse Regional Transporation Planning Organization we use a driving simulator that we created ourselves. The driving simulator the PRTPO has created is similar to the one pictured above. The purpose of our driving simulator is to provide young and potential drivers with a realistic view of the difficulties that come with driving. We bring this equipment with us as we visit schools & Universities around.

While this may be an education driving video game there exist several that are for pure enjoyment. Many young adults and potential drivers are more familiar with the other types of driving video games that exist. These are your stereotypical racing games that have been on the market for several decades now. These games allow players to drive upwards of 100mph with little to no consequences for their actions. A direct contrast to the simulator type of game that the PRTPO uses. These games, as pictured above, depict the driving world as flashy and full of action & adventure. A vast contrast to the mundane traffic you can find yourself in at times. With both of these types of video games, one can easily begin to question the positive effects driving video games to have. 

While it is clear that video games promote unsafe driving habits such as racing at 120mph down a freeway, many of the educational driving games are believed to be beneficial.  In 2016 at the Unisveristy of Hong Kong researchers tested the effect of video-game playing had on their driving skill. What they discovered that the type of video games that the individual played influenced their ability to drive. Comparing both gamers who played a non-action game (The Sims) vs an action game (Unreal Tournament 4), they found that "the claim that easily accessible action video games can be cost-effective training tools to help people improve their essential visuomotor-control skills used for driving,” While this makes room for the case of using driving video games as a tool for learning there is still many more questions that need answers. Perhaps the future of driving school could be all virtual.