As summer begins, many more Dallas residents will be going to the lake and taking their boat out on the water. If you are headed to the lake this summer, it’s important to keep in mind these five causes of boating accidents to protect yourself from harm:
- Operator Inexperience: One of the top causes of boating accidents is when the boat operator is inexperienced. It’s important for anyone who is going to be driving the boat to take a boating safety class to learn boating laws, how to man a boat during an emergency and how to avoid boating accidents.
- Operator Inattention: The next biggest cause of boating accidents is when a boat driver isn’t paying attention and ends up running into another boat or someone in the water. It’s easy to lose focus on driving a boat when there is so much to enjoy or do on the water, but remember that after you stop driving you can take part in the fun too.
- Alcohol: When you are out on the water, it’s easy to have a few drinks and not realize that your blood alcohol level might be over the legal limit. The same rules that apply to driving a car while intoxicated apply to driving a boat, so it’s important to always have a designated boat driver to protect your life and the lives of others.
- Equipment Failure: It’s important to keep up with your boat maintenance since boat equipment problems and carbon monoxide poisoning are leading causes of boating accidents.
- Reckless Behavior: Many boating accidents occur when passengers or drivers are acting reckless. You should always avoid:
- allowing a passenger to ride on the bow, transom or gunwales of your boat while you are driving
- intentionally splashing other boats
- jumping a wake in the vicinity of another boat while on a boat
Boating accidents usually occur due to the negligence of someone else. If you or a loved one were the victim of a boating accident, you deserve compensation. Contact the Dallas boat accident lawyers at Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP today and set-up your free, no-obligation consultation.
