It’s National Safe Boating Week – E3 Spark Plugs Offers Tips
National Boating Safety Week is May 17-23. Is your boat ready for another season on the water?
Summer’s here and if you haven’t already, we’re betting you’re anxious to hit the water in your bass boat, speed boat or even your luxury houseboat. To help make sure you make it back to the shore in one piece, the National Safe Boating Council has proclaimed May 17-23, 2014 National Safe Boating Week, just in time for the Memorial Day holiday, one of the biggest boating days of the year. And we here at E3 Spark Plugs, makers of the best boating and powersports spark plugs on the market, offer a few tips.
- Make sure your boat is water-worthy: For many, Memorial Day is the first day their boat is back on the water after the long winter season. Prepare yours by draining and replacing your fuel, oil and coolant; inspecting your battery to make sure the cables are clean, non-corroded and properly connected and that it’s filled with water (if your battery uses is) and fully charged; and tightening your belts. Also, restock your boat’s engine with a new set of E3 boat spark plugs for a stronger, more efficient engine and fuel performance
- Check your equipment: Make sure your weather radio, boat horn and any other communications devices are working. Getting stuck on the water with no way to reach help can make a potentially dangerous situation all the more so. Also, make sure your boat is stocked with other passenger safety equipment including life jackets. Of the 500 people who drown each year from recreational boating crashes nationwide, 88 percent were not wearing a life jacket.
- Know the laws: Before heading out onto the water, check to make sure you’re up to date on all applicable boating laws, including new ones that may have snuck up on you. For instance, Georgia boaters may be unaware of a new law that goes into effect July 1. Named for a young boy killed in a jet ski accident in 2012, the Kile Glover Boat Education Law requires any person born on or after January 1, 1998 to successfully complete an approved boat education course before operating a motorized watercraft. It also lowers the blood-alcohol content limit for boaters from the standard .10 to .08 and toughens penalties intoxicated watercraft operators.
- Sober up: Speaking of drinking and driving a boat – don’t. Seriously. Just don’t. Alcohol use is a factor in nearly a third of all recreational boating accidents. And many don’t realize that sun exposure can heighten the effects of alcohol on your vision, hearing, coordination and cognitive abilities.
From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, have a safe and fun boating season.
