Boating Accidents Put A Damper On Water Fun

Boating is a very popular summertime activity for many families, and boating is a year-round pastime for many men and women. But boating can become very dangerous when boats are not operated properly or when boaters take to the water under inclement weather conditions. Every year, the United States Coast Guard compiles statistics on reported recreational boating accidents. The statistics are derived from accident reports that are filed by the owners and operators of vessels involved in accidents.

Boating Regulations

Current regulations require that the operator of any vessel, that is used for recreational purposes and is numbered, to file a Boating Accident Report (BAR) when any of the following occurs:

A person dies
A person is injured and requires medical treatment at a place other than the accident site
A person disappears from the vessel
Damage to vessels and other property totals $2,000 or more or there is a complete loss of any vessel

Boating accidents involving death, serious injury or someone's disappearance must be reported within 48 hours of the occurrence. Damage reports have to be made within 10 days of the occurrence.

The total number of accidents reported in 2005 was 4,969. The number of fatalities from boating accidents in 2005 was 697, and the number of injuries from boating accidents in that year was 3,451. In 2005, there were almost 13 million recreational vessels registered with the United States Coast Guard, and boating accidents caused just under $39 million in property damage.

Approximately 70% of all fatal boating accident drowned. Of those who drowned, 87% were not wearing their personal floatation device. Boating accident information reveals that over 400 lives could have been saved that year if boaters had worn their lifejackets.

Factors Involved in Accidents

The most common type of boating accident reported was a collision with another vessel. The two biggest causes of fatalities, however, are capsizing and falls overboard. The factors most often attributed to boating accidents are reckless operation, operator inattention, excessive speed and operator inexperience. Alcohol use was either a direct or indirect contributing factor in approximately one-quarter of all boating fatalities in 2005. Open motorboats, personal watercraft and cabin motorboats were the three types of vessels most frequently involved in a boating accident in 2005.

Boating accidents can certainly be prevented. When operating a recreational vessel, steps can be taken to prevent an accident or to minimize damage if an accident does occur:

Wear lifejackets at all times
Do not consume alcohol while boating
Be aware of the weather
Use any available distress-alerting and GPS technologies

If you are involved in a boating accident, a report must be filed within 48 hours of the incident if there is injury, death or disappearance of a person. Accidents involving damage only must be reported within ten days of the accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a boating accident in Houston or anywhere in Texas, please visit the website of the experienced Boating Accident Attorneys at Marc Whitehead & Associates, LLP.

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