The Maryland Natural Resources Police reported a statistically safer weekend than years past during the July 4 weekend this year. Despite being the busiest boating holiday, no boating fatalities were recorded on Independence Day weekend. Nine boating accidents occurred on Maryland’s waterways, down from 12 in each of the previous two years. NRP officers made nine Operating While Under the Influence of Alcohol (OUI) arrests during the agency’s “Operation Dry Water” heightened enforcement period from July 4-6. This was the highest number of arrests NRP recorded since making 12 arrests during Operation Dry Water in 2018. Operation Dry Water was launched in 2009 by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. NRP officers have participated in the joint effort since its inception, conducting “saturation patrols” in which increased numbers of officers concentrate in areas where drinking and boating are known to occur in Maryland. Newly introduced into Maryland law as of July 1, 2024, “Nick’s Law” allows the court system to prohibit OUI offenders from operating a vessel in state waters for up to two years, or if the violation results in a fatality, up to five years. Previously, offenders could only be prohibited from operating for just one […]
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