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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

Personal Watercraft Safety Data

Embedded Dataset Excel:

Dataset Excel:

table_02_48_072523.xlsx (27.52 KB)

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.

Watercraft Number in use and Sales prior to 2021 are estimates.

Description:

KEY: U = data are not available.

a Total vessels involved.

Source:

Fatalities, injuries, and accidents: 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety, Boating Statistics (Washington, DC:  Annual Issues), table 19 and similar tables in earlier editions, available at http://uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_statistics.php as of Jul. 5, 2023.

Sales: 

1987-90: Personal Watercraft Industry Association as of June 19, 2000.

1991-2014: National Marine Manufacturers Association, Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract (Annual Issues), table 3.1 and similar tables in earlier editions, available at http://www.nmma.org/statistics/publications/statisticalabstract.aspx as of Jun. 18, 2018.

2015-20: National Marine Manufacturers Association, News, available at http://www.nmma.org/press/latest-news as of Jul. 2, 2021.

2021-22: Trade Only Today, Registration Declines Starting to Ebb, available at https://www.tradeonlytoday.com/columns-blogs/registration-declines-starting-to-ebb as of Jul. 5, 2023.

Use: 

1987-96: National Marine Manufacturers Association, data compiled by the United States Coast Guard, personal communications.

1997-98: National Marine Manufacturers Association, available at http://www.nmma.org/facts/boatingstats/statistic98.html as of June 19, 2000.

1999-2014: National Marine Manufacturers Association, Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract (Annual Issues), table 1.3 and similar tables in earlier editions, available at http://www.nmma.org/statistics/publications/statisticalabstract.aspx as of Jun. 18, 2018.

Publications: