The number of boating accidents on Iowa’s public lakes and rivers this season is the lowest in five years, although four of the accidents — twice as many as usual — resulted in deaths, records show.
A new, stricter blood-alcohol limit in effect since July 1 has resulted in a slight increase in drunken-boating arrests, but figures still aren’t final, said Susan Stocker, who oversees boating law issues for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, told the Des Moines Register.
Publicity about the stricter alcohol limits helped keep boating safety in people’s minds, she added. The limit dropped from 0.10 to 0.08, the same as for vehicle drivers.
