The July 4 holiday weekend is nearly here, and it is always one of the biggest boating weekends of the summer. The high price of gas this season has boat traffic down in most areas, but many folks will probably still be willing to suck it up and fill up the tank for a few hours of boating over the holiday weekend.
Boating remains high on the list of outdoors activities. In this area, the most popular boat types range from jet skis to the big pleasure boats designed for water skiing and cruising. In between, there are many models of fishing boats.
Boating is so popular that on the most popular waters -- such as the Potomac River and Deep Creek Lake -- traffic has reached a level to where it can get dangerous out there. As a result, state and federal agencies are issuing warnings about the dangers associated with boating, and making recommendations on how boaters can help reduce accidents.