With summer here and people travelling from here to there for a good time with their families and friends it is important for each of us to remember that a good time can turn into a nightmare if we are not careful and use our heads.

One of the most enjoyable ways to spend a hot summer day is by relaxing on a nice, cool body of water with fishing tackle close by and a nice, soothing breeze drying the sweat from our forehead. But, too often people mix these relaxing trips to the lake with alcohol which can be very dangerous for not just those in your boat, but to everyone else who is on the water as well.

More than 1,000 boaters die each year in boating accidents and half of these involve alcohol. Many people feel that they can avoid the laws that have been passed over recent years in regard to boating and alcohol. But boaters have to remember that alcohol impairs our ability to operate a water vessel safely in the same way it impairs us to drive a car safely.

If you are going to drink this summer, do it responsibly. Make sure you have a designated driver, whether on the highways or the waterways.