subject: Boating Safety And Accident Prevention: Heres Some Facts [print this page] Owners of recreational boats, by federal law, are required to register their vessels. In 2011 there were approximately 12.2 million registered boats. Whats more, when an accident occurs on a recreational boat it must be reported to the Coast Guard. This pertains when the following occurs:
If a person dies or is injured and requires medical treatment beyond first aid
If damage to the boat or other property exceeds $2,000
If the boat is lost, or
If a person disappears from the boat
The most common types of boats involved in reported accidents in 2010 were: open motorboats (47 percent); personal watercraft (19 percent); and cabin motorboats (14 percent). Out of the 4,588 accidents reported in 2011, 685 occurred in Florida, accounting for 15 percent of all incidents. Other states with a high number of boating accidents includes:
California (399)
Texas (197)
Maryland (184)
New York (173)
Boating fatalities rose about 12.8 percent from 672 in 2010 to 758 in 2011. The number of accidents fell 0.3 percent from 4,604 in 2010 to 4,588 in 2011. Seven out of 10, or 70 percent, of fatal boating accident victims drowned in 2011 and, of those, 84 percent were not wearing life jackets. Life jackets should be made available for all passengers on any water vehicle, greatly reducing the chances of death by drowning.
Injuries also fell from 3,153 in 2010 to 3,081 in 2011 or 2.3 percent. Property damage totaled $52 million in 2011, up 44 percent from 2010 but below the record $54 million in 2008.
These statistics make having boat insurance a vital way to protect not only the boat owner but also the passengers on the vessel in the event of an accident or injury. Many boat owners in the northeast, particularly in Maine, Connecticut and the surrounding areas have vessels considered high net worth items, and as such should have insurance that reflects the value of the craft.
Alcohol contributes to boating deaths and injuries
Research has also shown that alcohol, combined with typical boating conditions such as motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray, can impair a persons abilities much faster than alcohol consumption on land. Boats operated by persons with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above 0.10 percent are estimated to be more than 10 times more likely to be killed in a boating accident than boat operators with zero BAC. Alcohol was the largest human factor in boating deaths in 2011, accounting for 16 percent of boating fatalities, causing 149 deaths in 361 accidents and resulting in 306 injuries.
Other factors were operator inattention, accounting for 58 deaths, and operator inexperience, resulting in 43 deaths.
Deaths and injuries can be greatly reduced by making sure that the person operating the boat is not doing so under the influence of drugs or alcohol, is an experienced driver (or has someone with experience supervising their every move), and is giving the task of maneuvering the vessel through water and past obstacles their undivided attention.
by: MariaT.Barber
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