Table 5-2 Boating Accident Causes, 2006
Table 5-2
Boating Accident Causes, 2006
| Primary cause of accident | Accidents | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| Loading of passengers or gear | 514 | 91 |
| Hull failure | 77 | 10 |
| Machinery / machinery system failure | 272 | 18 |
| Equipment / equipment system failure | 141 | 9 |
| Operation of vessel | 2,867 | 336 |
| Environment | 621 | 108 |
| Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor | 36 | 0 |
| Other | 166 | 42 |
| Unknown | 273 | 96 |
| Total | 4,967 | 710 |
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Boating Statistics, 2006; available at: http://www.uscgboating.org as of Mar. 24, 2008.
- Overall, carelessness/reckless operation, operator inattention, excessive speed, and operator inexperience are the leading contributing factors of all reported accidents. The contributing factors of accidents are subcategories that fall under the "Loading of passengers or gear" category in the above chart.
- Approximately 70% of all reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction.