USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

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

Figure 4-3Causes of Recreational Boating Accidents-1999

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Figure 4-3
Causes of Recreational Boating Accidents-1999

Excel | CSV | Table Version

Figure 4-3 Causes of Recreational Boating Accidents-1999. If you are a user with disability and cannot view this image, use the table version. If you need further assistance, call 800-853-1351.

NOTES: Most boating accidents involved human factors. Human factors include accidents during loading of passengers or gear and operation of the vessel. Operator inattention and operator inexperience were the top 2 causes of accidents due to the operation of the vessel. Alcohol is a major factor in boating accidents.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety, Boating Statistics – 2000, available at http://www.uscgboating.org/saf/pdf/boating_statistics_2000.pdf.

  • Nearly 70 percent of all reported accidents involve factors that are under the control of the boat operator.
  • Primary causes of accidents are operator inattention, careless or reckless operation, operator inexperience, operating at an unsafe speed, and no proper lookout.
  • Eighty-four percent of all boating fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not completed a boating safety education course.