Boater Education
Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sportfish and Wildlife Restoration Program
Memorial Day is the traditional start of “boating season” in Texas. Before you set foot on a boat this summer, learn the “rules of the road.”
We teach classes. They’re available online. They’re available in person.
Brandi Bradford, state boater education coordinator, says boater education information is even available as a home study course.
It’s required for those aged thirteen to seventeen, but we recommend it for any new boater—or even if you’ve been doing it for twenty years. There’s always something new out there.
With 500-thousand registered boaters in Texas, everyone who spends time on the water benefits when boaters know the rules.
We talk about rules of the road. Which way do you turn if somebody is coming right at you? Do you go right or left? The answer is go right. You might not have known that, and the other person might not know it, is the bigger deal. We teach you about how alcohol affects you on the water; it actually affects you three times more than it does on land. So, one beer on the water equals three on the land. We teach you about proper lighting to use on your boat, proper safety equipment to have on your boat…. And just what to expect when you’re out there.
One piece of safety equipment everyone should keep close is a personal flotation device. We’ll have more on that tomorrow.
That’s our show…we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…reminding you that June 6th through 14th is National Fishing and Boating Week…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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