Make This the Summer of the Yellow Wristband

Take the Sober Skipper Pledge to Eliminate Boating Under the Influence

Now that the summer boating season is in full swing, you might notice boaters wearing distinctive yellow wristbands. That’s because they’ve taken the Sea Tow Foundation’s Sober Skipper pledge to abstain from alcohol and drugs while out on the water.

Boating Under the Influence (BUI) statistics don’t lie: the effects of alcohol are greatly intensified by wind, vibration, noise and the sun, which can impair balance, coordination, concentration and judgment when on a boat. BUI is 100 percent preventable. By taking the pledge to stay sober, you’re helping to keep everyone on board and those around you safe.

The recently released 2020 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics report showed that there were significantly more boaters on the water in 2020 which resulted in an increased number of boating accidents. According to the report, the new boaters out on the water may not have had the opportunity to take a boating safety course or get training because of COVID-19 restrictions. Unfortunately, this meant that there were 767 boating-related deaths last year, which is the highest total since 1998. Where the cause of the accident was known, BUI was the leading cause of 138 deaths on the water.

You can help eliminate BUI by taking the pledge to be or to designate a sober skipper before every boating trip at www.soberskipper.com. The Sober Skipper Campaign also has additional tools to help improve boating safety in your local area such as hosting a Sober Skipper event in your local area, sharing social media posts, or using the Sober Skipper videos to spread the word to the boaters on your waterway.

If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.