How to Avoid a Boat Accident during the 2022 Boating Season?

It’s that time of year again, when the spring weather warms up as we get ready for summer. Boat owners are preparing their boats to put them on the water for the summer of 2022 by getting them cleaned, repaired, registered, and summer-ready. While boats are a means of survival for some and a way to blow off steam and have some summer fun for others, they can also pose a threat if not operated carefully. Thousands of people sustain a personal injury every year in boating accidents, usually hundreds of which result in a fatality. It is important to be aware of the common causes of boat accidents to avoid becoming the victim of one this season. Page & Eichenblatt is a team of personal injury attorneys helping the victims of boating accidents to get the justice they deserve.

What are the Leading Causes of Boat Accidents?

While there are many reasons why a boating accident can occur, there are two leading factors that most boat related crashes are caused by: alcohol use and/or a lack of boating safety instruction.

Drinking and Boating is a Deadly Combination

Alcohol consumption was listed as the leading factor in 18% of deaths and was the leading known contributing factor to all deaths that occurred in boating accidents in 2020. Just like with a car on the road, it is unsafe and illegal to operate a boating vessel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. When you drink and drive a boat, you are posing a threat to yourself, others on your boat, people in other boats, you are risking thousands of dollars in property damage, and even jail time.

Safety First to Avoid Tragedy

According to the Coast Guard, 77% of all boat-related deaths in 2020 occurred when the driver of the boat had not taken a boat safety training course. Subsequently, 75% of all boating accident deaths that year were drownings, and of those 86% were not wearing a lifejacket. Unfortunately, when people are not educated on the proper safety protocols, it can be fatal. The top five types of accidents were:

Collision with a recreational vessel
Flooding or swamping
Collision with a fixed object
Grounding
Falling overboard

While falling overboard had the fewest occurrences in 2020 of these five types of boating accidents, it resulted in the most deaths by more than double any of the other types of accident, making it by far the most deadly type of boat accident.

Boat Accident Statistics: Accidents, Injuries, Deaths, and Damage Costs

According to the most recent report from the United States Coast Guard, there were 5,265 boat accidents in the year 2020. This resulted in 3,191 injuries, 767 deaths, and more than $62 million dollars in property damage. Before operating a recreational vessel or any other type of boat this year, be sure to undergo boating safety instruction and do not drink and drive a boat. Always be mindful of the boat you are operating, the passengers that you have on board, and your surroundings on the water including other water vessels. Be safe to ensure that you have a great 2022 boating season!

Have You Been Involved in a Boat Accident?

If you are a boat owner, we hope that you are now more aware of the potential hazards and that you have a safe 2022 summer boating season. If you are the victim of a boating accident, you should hire a personal injury lawyer to help you with your settlement. Please feel free to call Page & Eichenblatt, P.A. at (407) 386-1900, or simply use our form to submit a request to receive a free case evaluation. For more than 25 years our team of experts have been helping the victims of boating and other personal injury accidents to receive a fair settlement.