Alcohol Effects BUI

Alcohol is a depressant which can cause mental and physical skills to decline. Some examples of abilities that are impaired by alcoholic beverages include:

• Cognitive Abilities Such as Judgment
• Balance
• Peripheral Vision
• Depth Perception
• Night Vision
• Focus
• Distinguishing Colors (Such as Red and Green)

It is bad enough to have these skills affected on dry land, but if you are operating a boat this can make things worth. Boating requires coordination, reaction time and much more. If you are affected by alcohol, you may be putting yourself, as well as your passengers, in danger.

Alcohol Severely Impairs Boating Abilities

Given that most boat operators are only recreational boaters, it is dangerous to add alcohol to the mix. Even sober operators have a hard time remembering boating rules and regulations as well as boat handling techniques.

Alcohol can affect your water skills in many ways. It can lead to an eroding sense of balance. This can make it easy for you to fall in the water and to tell which way is up and which way is down.

Your vision may also fade. Because of the sun and light reflecting off of the water, objects may be hazy and hard to see. Depth perception and night vision also decline. It will also become hard to tell the difference between red and green, which is dangerous when looking at markers or the lights of oncoming boats.

Coordination will also decline. Imagine if you fall in the water – you will be panicked and scared even if you are sober. But add being drunk and losing coordination skills. It will become much harder to grab on to a life preserver. The shock of the cold water can also add to cramping and the very real possibility of drowning.

The surface of your blood vessels will also dilate. Alcohol creates the sensation of being warm. If someone falls into cold water while their blood vessels are dilated, they can fall victim to hypothermia quickly. This will also reduce your decision-making abilities.

Have You Heard Of Boater’s Hypnosis?

This occurs as a result of sun, glare, vibration, engine noise, and motion on the water. All of these factors lead to fatigue. But these natural stressors can also intensify the effects of alcohol.