State officials urge boating safety ahead of Memorial Day
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — It’s National Safe Boating Week and Illinois state agencies are urging safe boating practices as Memorial Day approaches.
The safety week is observed yearly the week before Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer and boating season. Officials said there are two main ways to practice safe boating: wearing a life jacket whenever on water and only operating a boat while sober.
“Life jackets save lives, and the best thing you can do for your friends and loved ones is insist they wear a life jacket anytime they’re in or near the water,” said Illinois Conservation Police Lt. Curt Lewis, the state’s boating law administrator. “The best life jacket is the one you wear, whether you’re on a fishing boat, a pontoon, a canoe, a personal watercraft, or a paddleboard.”
Statistics from the Illinois Conservation Police show that in 2023, there were 70 boating accidents reported on Illinois waters, resulting in 12 deaths and 37 injuries. Of those 12 deaths, eight were not wearing life jackets.
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Most accidents, statistics show, happen between noon and 6 p.m. on weekends between June and August. Accidents usually involve operators between the ages of 20 and 40 with more than 100 hours of boating experience, but little to no classroom instruction. Accidents also usually involve boats cruising in a careless or reckless manner, ending in a collision with another boat.
The IDNR offers free boating safety courses to go over laws and operating instructions. All boaters of all ages are encouraged to take a course, but anyone born after June 1, 1998, must pass a course and have a valid Boating Safety Certificate.
“With boating season upon us, everyone who heads out to enjoy Illinois’ beautiful lakes and waterways should make safety their first priority,” said Cody Gray, safety education program administrator for IDNR. “IDNR’s mandatory boating safety classes are free, and what you learn may just save someone’s life.”
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