"Don't miss the boat on summer safety"

In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, there's a good chance you or a loved one will be driving or riding in a boat this summer. Please review these basic boating principles and share them with your friends and family. And have a safe and happy summer.

• Always wear a life jacket. Over 75% of boating fatalities occur from not wearing life jackets.
• Take the MN Boating Regulations and Boat Safety Course only.
• Know the boat manufacturer's loading limits and follow them.
• Never drink and drive.
• Make sure children ages 12-17 obtain their MN Watercraft Operator Permit.
• When two powerboats meet head-on, both boats should turn to the right (starboard).
• When one powerboat is overtaking another, the overtaking boat should give way.

Over the last 20 years in MN there have been as many as 177 non-fatal boating accidents per year and up to 57 annual boating fatalities. Statistically this means that any boating accident has a fairly high probability of an injury or fatality occurring. This is in large part because there are no seat belts on boats. People are often thrown from the boat when an accident occurs, which means that once the threat of injury or death from impact has passed, there is an added risk of drawing. Please, do what you can to make sure you do not become a statistic.