| Every year, the United States Coast Guard compiles | | | | fatalities overall. |
| information regarding boating accidents in the United | | | | Overall, carelessness, reckless driving, operator |
| States. These studies are very comprehensive and | | | | inattention, excessive speed, and operator |
| are based on accident reports filed by boaters who | | | | inexperience were the most prevalent contributing |
| have been involved in boating accidents. | | | | factors to boating accidents. That is why the Coast |
| There are certain regulations that the USCG has set | | | | Guard highly recommends all boaters take a certified |
| forth regarding the reporting of a boating accident. | | | | boating safety class as well as qualified boating |
| You must report the accident under the following | | | | instruction classes. |
| conditions: | | | | The most common types of boats involved in |
| - A person dies | | | | boating accidents were open watercraft, personal |
| - A person is injured and requires medical treatment | | | | watercrafts (Jet Skis), and cabin motorboats. There |
| other than first aid | | | | was a marked increase also in sailing accidents, |
| - The damage to a vessel is more than $2,000 or | | | | houseboats, and fishing boats. |
| there is a total loss of a vessel | | | | Alcohol was also shown to be a huge contributing |
| - A person disappears from a vessel and | | | | factor in boating accidents. Impaired captains were |
| circumstances indicated there may be a death or an | | | | shown to have a larger incidence of the possibility of |
| injury | | | | accidents because of lack of judgment, inattention, |
| It's a good idea to report the boating accident within | | | | and reckless behavior. In fact, one-fourth of all |
| the first forty-eight hours. Regulations differ as to | | | | boating accidents could be directly linked to the |
| the required time frame, but a responsible boater will | | | | consumption of alcohol by the driver. |
| take care of the situation as soon as possible. | | | | Boating accidents can be prevented rather easily if |
| In the year 2005, there were 267 fatalities directly | | | | more people would take boating safety classes and |
| attributed to boating accidents. Of those fatalities, | | | | receive proper boating instruction. Because of the |
| seventy percent of them were due to drowning, and | | | | various factors that are involved in boating, it can be |
| eight-seven of those who drowned did so because | | | | dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. If |
| they were not wearing their life jackets. | | | | you want to be a responsible boater, they way to |
| The most reported boating accidents were the result | | | | prevent boating accidents is to stop them before |
| of collisions with another vessel. However, capsizing | | | | they start. Get educated and then put that |
| and falls overboard were also among those most | | | | information to use - all the time! |
| reported and contributed also to the drowning | | | | |