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LET’S BE CAREFUL OUT THERE PEOPLE!
TYPES OF BOATING ACCIDENTS - 1990
Vessels
Involved
Fatalities
TOTALS
8,591
865
Grounding
390
14
Capsizing
545
289
Swamping/Flooding
252
60
Sinking
210
11
Fire/Explosion (fuel)
274
14
Fire/Explosion (other)
97
2
Collision with another vessel
4,422
81
Collision with fixed object
864
76
Collision with floating object
262
13
Falls overboard
451
239
Falls within boat
139
1
Struck by boat or propeller
191
7
Other
470
29
Unknown
24
29
*The Coast Guard estimates that it receives reports
for only a fraction of reportable accidents.
U.S. Department
of Transportation
United States
Coast Guard
Boating Safety Circular 72
Does Your PFD Have a Sunburn
7
Flame Arrester Regulations
8
Consumer Affairs
10
WANTED!
11
The numbers speak for themselves. The typical
recreational boater is more likely to have a collision
with another vessel or a fixed object than any other
type of boating accident. Collisions are the third most
frequent cause of fatalities.
During the years 1986 through 1990, 16,835* boats
were reported to have been involved in collisions.
Almost 9,500 of the people filing accident reports
attributed "improper lookout" as being the major
cause. The second most frequent cause given was
"other vessel or operator
at fault."
Perhaps due to the
similarities between
driving an automobile
and operating a boat,
there are those who
think licensing of boat
operators will result in a
substantial reduction in
the numbers of acci-
dents. Actually, there
are far more reasons
why the boat operator is
more susceptible to hav-
ing a collision than is the
driver of an automobile:
The automobile has a
control station designed to provide optimum visibility
in all types of driving conditions. Reclining bucket
seats, rearview mirrors, windshield wipers and wash-
ers, defrosters, etc. are all intended to give the driver
of an automobile maximum visibility. The typical boat,
however, has a helm seat which is not similarly
adjustable, and the operator lacks any additional
accessories specifically designed to improve visibil-
ity, beyond the possible addition of a windshield
wiper.
An automobile is equipped with a braking system
that will bring a car to a complete stop within known
distances depending on the particular rate of speed,
and a steering system which responds instantly to a
driver's turning of the steering wheel. The boat,
however, is a vehicle which has no similar braking
system. The act of coming to a complete stop is
further complicated by the effects of way (momen-
tum), windage, tide, current, and waves caused by
weather conditions, a boat's own wake or wakes
from other vessels. Steering response varies consid-
erably depending upon, type of steering, boat type,
hull design, direction of
propeller rotation, trim,
weight, and speed upon
or through the water.
These are but a few of
the reasons why there
are very significant dif-
ferences between
maneuvering a 30-foot
tiller-steered sailboat, a
25-foot twin screw
cabin cruiser and an
outboard powered, 12-
foot jonboat.
The typical automo-
bile is equipped with a
suspension system de-
signed to minimize
discomfort. The driver of an automobile travels an
integrated system of paved highways and side streets
with lane markings, one way and two way streets,
speed limits, and other traffic signs and signals which
properly direct vehicles in crossing situations.
SEPTEMBER 1991
(reprinted May 1993)
See Note on Page 7 Boating Safety Circular
2
The boat operator, however, must make decisions
and judgements concerning a boat's operation (speed,
course, distance, plan of action, etc.) in relation to
wind, water and weather conditions. The boat opera-
tor must also detect and avoid other boats
approaching at varying speeds from all points of the
compass. The boat operator must keep a constant
lookout to avoid water skiers, swimmers and other
objects above and beneath the surface of the water.
In addition, the boat operator is also exposed to
various environmental stressors, like glare, heat, fa-
tigue and vibration which are largely absent from the
environment to which the driver of an automobile is
exposed.
Having established the fact that a boat operator's
task in avoiding a collision is clearly more difficult than
that of the automobile driver, let's look at how the task
is made even more difficult because of certain char-
acteristics involving the design of the boat.
In order to avoid a collision, you have to be able to
see out of your boat well enough to be able to make
certain judgements about surrounding objects and
actions to be taken:
Will you hit an object as you navigate along
your current course?
Will another boat hit your boat if both of you
continue to travel on your current courses and at
your current rates of speed?
To avoid colliding with an object forward of your
boat, you need to be able to see the surface of the
water from the area immediately in front of your boat
to a point on the horizon. After sighting an object and
determining what it is, you have to make a conscious
decision that you don't want to hit it; a simple task at
five knots, but a split-second decision at 30 or 40. You
need to be able to see moving objects on both sides of
the boat in order to determine whether those objects
are moving to a position in front and thus will pose a
threat of collision. Although visibility aft is important
from the standpoint of keeping a proper lookout, it is
most important while you are docking or maneuvering
in close quarters.
Windshields
In most powerboats larger than 13 feet in length
the operator must look through a windshield. The
ability to visually detect objects through a windshield
can be substantially reduced due to dirt, glare, reflec-
tions from nearby surfaces or condensation. Window
frames and other structural obstructions may further
limit your visibility.
It's unfortunate that most boats lack windshield
washers like those on most cars. Obviously visibility
will be impaired by a dirty, cloudy, rain or spray
soaked windshield. Windshield surface cleaning prior
to and during boat usage is a problem of boat mainte-
nance.
Because light reflects on and off of a surface at the
same angle, it is much easier to design and minimize
glare and reflection problems for the automobile
driver whose eye positions are known and the area of
eye positions is small (different sized drivers look
through different parts of a windshield). Because a
typical boat operator's position varies greatly, i.e.,
standing sometimes, in lieu of seated, boat operators'
eye positions vary much more significantly. This
makes it almost impossible to make design changes
which will prevent reflections from reaching boat
LEADING CAUSES OF COLLISIONS - 1986 - 1990
BOATS
INVOLVED
CAUSES
9,426
Improper lookout
8,616
Other vessel/operator at fault
2,249
Submerged object (logs, rocks, etc.)
1,478
Operator inattention or carelessness
945
Other
754
Strong current, rough water, weather, etc.
721
Speeding
641
Other equipment failure
537
Navigational error
394
Rules of the Road infraction
373
Inexperience of operator
280
Improper navigation lights
214
View obstructed (bow in air, sun glare, bright lights, etc.)
194
Steering system failure (cable, pulleys, fittings, etc.)
176
Loss of stability: strong current, weather, rapids, whitewater, etc.
119
Force of wake or wave striking vessel
68
Poor visibility (rain, fog, darkness, etc.)
50
Throttle failure Boating Safety Circular
3
TYPE OF ACCIDENT
TOTAL
FATALITIES
INJURIES
PROPERTY DAMAGE
1990
Collision With Another Vessel
2,242
81
1,376
$7,180,500
Collision With Fixed Object
864
76
545
$2,959,600
Collision With Floating Object
269
13
100
$834,000
1989
Collision With Another Vessel
2,039
60
1,265
$6,707,500
Collision With Fixed Object
797
60
509
$2,665,000
Collision With Floating Object
296
8
116
$1,284,900
1988
Collision With Another Vessel
2,351
76
1,321
$6,187,900
Collision With Fixed Object
848
78
449
$2,460,400
Collision With Floating Object
376
13
126
$1,193,500
1987
Collision With Another Vessel
2,288
80
1,307
$5,893,200
Collision With Fixed Object
853
58
496
$2,124,300
Collision With Floating Object
314
17
93
$1,105,300
1986
Collision With Another Vessel
2,108
86
972
$4,9057,900
Collision With Fixed Object
914
79
432
$3,080,800
Collision With Floating Object
276
8
57
$614,700
COLLISION ACCIDENT STATISTICS - 1986 - 1990
operators' eyes.
The automotive industry's accomplishments in re-
ducing the effects of glare and reflections on
windshields are obvious. Most cars have gray or
black windshield wiper brackets,dark colored, tex-
tured, horizontal surfaces between the base of the
windshield and the instrument panel, and dull finished
parts on the instrument panel, radio speaker, steering
wheel, or any other interior features which could
reflect onto the windshield. The use of similar dull
finishes and textured, medium to dark colors, aft of
the windshield and forward of the control station on
boats would greatly reduce glare and reflection
problems.
When looking through the windshield, most auto-
mobile drivers have an unobstructed view of the road
ahead. Boat operators, however, are forced to look
around far more obstacles. Windshield wipers are
optional equipment on most runabouts and small cabin
cruisers and are often owner installed equipment.
Both factory installed and owner installed windshield
wiper motors are frequently mounted on the top
center of the windshield frame. In that location, the
wiper motor housing frequently reduces the size of
the operator's view through the windshield. Alterna-
tively, with the windshield wiper motor mounted in a
corner of the windshield or at the bottom of the
windshield frame, the wiper motor housing is out of
the line of sight and the wiped area is larger and will
provide better foul weath