May 21, 2021 – The Illinois Conservation Police is boosting enforcement efforts as boating season in Illinois gets underway. Police will be out on the water looking closely for drunk boat drivers. They will also perform safety checks says spokesperson Rachel Torbert.
“What they’re looking for when they’re doing boat safety checks are life jackets. They want to make sure that everybody on your boat has a life jacket and most importantly has a life jacket that fits. If you have kids on your boat, especially under the age of 13, they need to be wearing that life jacket while the boat is underway,” said Torbert.
Torbert says boats also need to be equipped with a fire extinguisher, flares, working horn, and navigation lights as well as an engine cutoff switch as required by a new federal law.
