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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Figure 4-1Causes Ascribed to Marine Transportation Accidents, 1996-2000

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Figure 4-1
Causes Ascribed to Marine Transportation Accidents, 1996-2000

Excel | CSV | Graphic Version

Causes Percentage
Equipment\rfailure 21.21%
Human\rfactors 67.25%
Hazardous\rmaterials 0.49%
Weather 11.05%

NOTE: Only accidents involving a fatality, a missing person, an injury, or at least $25,000 in damages are included.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Safety Information Management System database as of December 2001.

  • Two-thirds of marine transportation accidents involve human factors, such as misunderstanding or ignoring hazard warnings, operating in adverse conditions without adequate weather monitoring, and navigational errors.
  • Over one-fifth of accidents are caused by a failure of vessel equipment, such as deck machinery, generators, propulsion controls, and fuel systems.