Facts and figures

• In 2004, 4,904 boating accidents were reported, and accounted for 676 fatalities, 3,363 injuries and more than $35 million in property damage.
• Approximately 70 percent of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and 90 percent of the victims who drowned were not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD), more commonly known as a life jacket.
• Overall, 431 lives could have been saved in 2004 if boaters had worn their life jackets.
• Carelessness/reckless operation, operator inattention, operator inexperience, and excessive speed are the leading contributing factors of all reported accidents.
• The most common types of boats involved in reported accidents were open motorboats (42 percent), personal watercraft (PWC) (25 percent) and cabin motorboats (15 percent).
• The number of reported injuries involving PWC-use continued to drop in 2004 and has decreased every year since 1996.
• Fourteen children age 12 and under died while boating in 2004, compared to 27 in 2003.
• Approximately 70 percent of all reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction.
• Alcohol was involved in approximately one-third of all boating fatalities in 2004.

Source: "Boating Statistics - 2004: You're In Command, Boat Responsibly" study, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard