Table 2-44: Personal Watercraft Safety Data
Table 2-44: Personal Watercraft Safety Data
| 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatalities | 5 | 20 | 20 | 28 | 26 | 34 | 35 | 56 | 68 | 57 | 84 | 78 | 66 | 68 | 50 | 71 | U |
| Injured persons | 156 | 254 | 402 | 532 | 708 | 730 | 915 | 1,338 | 1,617 | 1,837 | 1,812 | 1,743 | 1,614 | 1,580 | 1,424 | 1,362 | U |
| Accidentsa | 376 | 650 | 844 | 1,162 | 1,513 | 1,650 | 2,236 | 3,002 | 3,986 | 4,099 | 4,070 | 3,607 | 3,374 | 3,268 | 2,562 | 2,225 | U |
| Sales | 29,000 | 48,000 | 64,000 | 72,000 | 68,000 | 79,000 | 107,000 | 142,000 | 200,000 | 191,000 | 176,000 | 130,000 | 106,000 | 92,000 | 80,900 | 79,300 | 80,600 |
| Number in use | 92,756 | 126,881 | 178,510 | 241,376 | 305,915 | 372,283 | 454,545 | 600,000 | 760,000 | 900,000 | 1,000,000 | 1,100,000 | 1,096,000 | 1,239,400 | 1,293,900 | 1,353,700 | 1,420,000 |
KEY: U = data are not available
a Total vessels involved.
NOTES
Personal watercraft are less than 13 feet in length and are designed to be operated by a person or persons sitting, standing, or kneeling on the craft rather than within the confines of the hull.
Data on personal watercraft sales and number in use are estimates.
SOURCES
Fatalities, injuries, and accidents:
U.S. Department of Transportation, United States Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety, Boating Statistics - 2002 (Washington, DC: 2003), Internet site http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/Boating_Statistics_2002.pdf as of June 3, 2004.
Sales:
1987-90: Personal Watercraft Industry Association, Internet site http://www.pwia.org/Abo_PWC.htm as of June 19, 2000.
1991-2003: Ibid., Internet site http://www.nmma.org/facts/boatingstats/2003/files/market1.asp as of June 3, 2004.
Use:
1987-96: National Marine Manufacturers Association, data compiled by the United States Coast Guard, personal communications.
1997-98: Ibid., Internet site http://www.nmma.org/facts/boatingstats/statistic98.html as of June 19, 2000.
1999-2003: Ibid., Internet site http://www.nmma.org/facts/boatingstats/2003/files/populationstats3.asp as of June 3, 2004.