Even if boating binds us and represents our passion as a community, safety is always to be set in first whenever planning a trip. This comes in as natural to many of us boaters, but there are a few statistics that should convince us to treat this matter with even more attention.
Per the 2018 Recreational Boating Statistics, let out by the U.S Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard and Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, in the U.S only, a great number of Boating Accidents occurred.
Many of these accidents could have been avoided if only some basic rules have had been in place and a lot of tragedy would have been avoided.
The above-mentioned document states that in 2018 alone the Top Five Primary Boating Accident Types were:
- 1. Collision with a recreational vessel. There were 1028 accidents of this kind out of which 661 people got injured and 40 people lost their lives.
- 2. Collision with a fixed object. There were 470 accidents of this kind out of which 296 people got injured and 62 lost their lives.
- 3. Flooding/swamping. There were 443 accidents of this kind out of which 97 people got injured and 68 lost their lives.
- 4. Grounding. There were 367 accidents of this kind out of which 236 people got injured and 16 lost their lives.
- 5. Falls overboard. There were 274 accidents of this kind out of which 120 people got injured and 159 lost their lives.
These numbers reveal the statistics released by the U.S alone in 2018 and we can all imagine that worldwide the situation could be even more grave.
More than this, the Top Ten Known Primary Contributing Factors of Boating Accidents are as follows:
| Accident Rank | Contributing Factor | Number of Accidents | Number of injuries | Number of deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Operator inattention | 654 | 437 | 50 |
| 2 | Improper Lookout | 440 | 316 | 27 |
| 3 | Operator inexperience | 387 | 213 | 40 |
| 4 | Machinery failure | 321 | 86 | 9 |
| 5 | Excessive speed | 276 | 231 | 25 |
| 6 | Alcohol use | 254 | 204 | 101 |
| 7 | Force of wake/wave | 209 | 153 | 10 |
| 8 | Weather | 205 | 96 | 40 |
| 9 | Navigation rules violation | 184 | 144 | 19 |
| 10 | Hazardous waters | 169 | 70 | 61 |
Solutions
Given all this information, as members of the boating community and developers of the IQ Nautics solution for smart boating enabled, we strongly sustain that we can all be safer together if we respect some of the most common rules when it comes to recreational boating:
- Avoid drinking when aboard – Odds of boating fatality are increased by 34% when under the influence of alcohol. Boating under the influence is also against the law.
- Avoid speeding – Water speed limits are in order just as land speed limits are. Water resistance and weather conditions can easily lead to a severe accident
- Make sure you perform boat maintenance periodically – Make sure your boat runs efficiently since if anyone gets hurt aboard your boat you could be held responsible for that.
- Always be prepared for emergencies – Always have all your safety equipment working in optimal conditions and make sure you know how to properly use it.
- Respect all life jacket laws
- Periodically, take a course of boat safety
- Maintain contact with other boaters – This can easily be done by simply using our app to create flotillas and adding other skippers to it. You can see their location, speed and distance relative to you and in case of an emergency you can help each other. Now it is easier to aid in case of need or better time your arrivals by knowing the location of all members of your flotilla, just by using our free app.
