Florida Boating Accident Statistical Report.

Florida: The Boating Accident Statistical Report is compiled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Division of Law Enforcement, Boating and Waterways Section. Pertinent data is retrieved from “reportable boating accident” reports submitted by various investigating agencies and selfreport
forms received from individual boaters for accidents which occurred. the majority of the data was obtained directly from boating accident investigative reports submitted by investigating officers.

The FWC Boating and Waterways Section analyzes the statistics in an effort to formulate proactive plans to reduce the number of boating accidents and their related injuries, fatalities, and property damage. The accident information is also reported to the United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) Office of Boating Safety in Washington, D.C. to be included in the National Boating Accident Reporting Database consisting of data from all U.S. states, commonwealths, and territories.

The State of Florida changed boating accident reporting criteria to conform to recent changes implemented by the U.S. Coast Guard. Since July 1, 2003, a “reportable boating accident” has been defined as a boating accident involving any one or more of the following:

• Death of any person.
• Disappearance of any person under circumstances that indicate possible death or injury.
• Personal injury requiring medical treatment beyond immediate first aid.
• Damage to any vessel or other property with a minimum of $2000 aggregate property damage.

The State of Florida set a new record for vessel registrations in 2005, with numbers soaring to 1,010,370 registered boats including both commercial and recreational registrations. Our waterways increasingly show the strains of congestion as each year brings more residents and visitors to utilize our
abundant water resources and take advantage of our mild climate. In spite of the increased number of boats using Florida waters, there were several significant changes as this report was being prepared:

• Total fatalities increased by 15% over.
• Drowning was the leading cause of death (71%) in fatal boating accidents.
• Rental Personal Watercraft (PWC) were involved in 36% of PWC accidents statewide, but only constitute 2.09% of all registered personal watercraft.
• The state saw a high number of boating fatalities, (80 in 69 accidents), which is the most fatalities since 1995.