Every year, the U.S. Coast Guard compiles statistics on reported recreational boating accidents. These statistics are derived from accident reports that are filed by the owners / operators of recreational vessels involved in accidents. The fifty states, five U.S. territories and the District of Columbia submit accident report data to the Coast Guard for inclusion in the annual Boating Statistics publication. The [annual] Boating Statistics publications are available here for you to download.
Download the PDF 2010 report here, or read it below. If nothing else, read the summary on page 6. One thing I found surprising was “Operator Inattention” was one of the primary causes of boating accidents. They don’t list operator distraction as a separate category yet, but I suspect they will in the future, as they find more and more accidents are caused by electronic distraction; mainly cell phones.
The report doesn’t include statistics from commercial activities, but there have been a number of high profile accidents in the past few years that are being attributed to cell phone distractions in the pilot house. The DUKW boat collision in PA and the Coast Guard vs 21′ Sea Ray in San Diego come to mind, not to mention a few tragedies in our own industry.
The report is very readable and filled with interesting charts and graphs.
