Politics & Government

Weigh in on Tougher Boating Laws

State Sen. Charles Fuschillo wants stiffer penalties for those boating under the influence of alcohol. Do you agree?

Pam Robinson's profile picture
Pam Robinson, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
|

It's been a bad summer for area waters. 

Three children were killed on July 4 when their boat sunk near Oyster Bay. The cause is still under investigation.

Last month, a West Islip man was killed by a drunk boater in the Great South Bay, according to police. In Massapequa, a man was  after police said he slammed into a dock outside a home on Ocean Avenue.

Find out what's happening in Farmingdalefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

On Thursday State Sen. Charles Fuschillo, R-Merrick, held a press conference to call for tougher penalties for boating accidents that involve alcohol.

Fuschillo, who is chairman of the  State Senate’s Transportation Committee says he will introduce a bill that would: 

Find out what's happening in Farmingdalefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Allow intoxicated boaters to face Class E felony charges if they had a child on the boat, just as they would if they were driving a car.
  • Create the charge of aggravated BUI for boaters with a blood alcohol level of .18 or higher, just as currently exists for driving under the influence offenses.
  • Create mandatory boating privilege suspensions for BUI offenders
  • Require s mandatory driver license suspension for BUI offenders
  • Ensure that DUI, BUI and snowmobiling under the influence (SUI) offenses are linked together when determining whether an individual is a repeat alcohol offender.

    • We want to know what you think of this proposal.  Please tell us in the comments.

    Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

    More from Farmingdale