2018 Recreational Boating Statistics Report Now Available

The U.S. Coast Guard released its 2018 Recreational Boating Statistics Report, which stated that there were 633 boating fatalities nationwide in 2018, a 3.8 percent decrease from 2017. From 2017 to 2018, overall recreational boating injuries also decreased 4.5 percent (2,629 to 2,511), and the total number of accidents decreased 3.4 percent (4,291 to 4,145).

Alcohol continued to be the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents in 2018, accounting for 100 deaths, or 19 percent of total fatalities. The report also shows that in 2018, the fatality rate was 5.3 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels, which tied as the third lowest rate in the program’s history. This rate represents a 3.6 percent decrease from last year’s fatality rate of 5.5 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels.

Property damage totaled about $46 million. Operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, machinery failure and excessive speed ranked as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents. Where the cause of death was known, 77 percent of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 84 percent were not wearing a life jacket.

Where boating instruction was known, 74 percent of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had not received boating safety instruction.

The most common vessel types involved in reported accidents were open motorboats, personal watercraft and cabin motorboats. Where vessel type was known, the vessel types with the highest percentage of deaths were open motorboats (50 percent), kayaks (13.5 percent), and canoes (7 percent).

To view the 2018 Recreational Boating Statistics click here.