Encl (2) to COMDTINST 16010.8
Recreational Boating Fatalities
Why We Act
For modes of transportation, recreational boating is second only to highway travel in
the annual number of related fatalities. The number of recreational boaters continues to
grow as more people move to the coastal regions, and the water becomes a more popular
place for recreation. In 1998, there were 78 million boaters taking to the water in 20
million craft. Around 800 boaters, including about 40 children, die in boating
accidents each year - mostly as a result of drowning.
Key Factors
The largest factor in recreational boating fatalities is lack of personal floatation
device (PFD) use. 80% of boaters do not use PFDs. The number one cause of fatalities is
drowning - this could be vastly reduced by increased PFD use. The primary causes of
accidents were operator inattention, carelessness, and excessive speed. Operator
intoxication is also a significant factor. 80% of all boating fatalities occur on boats
where the operator had no formal training. The Coast Guard works with state agencies to
implement boating safety programs - success in reducing fatalities is partly dependent
on effectiveness of the state's education and enforcement programs.
Strategies
The Coast Guard conducts public service campaigns with states, safety organizations, and
industry to promote personal floatation device use, operator training, and good boating
behavior. Our annual Safe Boating Campaign is kicked-off in late May, right before the
start of the boating season. We also conduct on-the-water safety boardings, while the
Coast Guard Auxiliary conducts boating safety courses, and dockside courtesy
examinations.
We will provide million in grant funding to state recreational boating safety
education and training programs, a million increase over last year. This mandatory
appropriation, in place for the next 6 years, assists states in implementing effective
boating safety programs. We continually work to increase personal floatation device