Increase in recreational boating accidents in New Jersey

BELOW: Boater inattention, inexperience, lack of caution, excessive speed, alcohol consumption and engine failure continue to be the leading causes of boating accidents across the country. (Photo by Ryan Morrill)

The U.S. Coast Guard’s 2023 recreational boating incident report shows that the number of accidents, deaths and injuries nationwide declined for the third consecutive year after hitting record highs during the summer of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in New Jersey, the number of accidents increased.

According to the Coast Guard report, there were 131 recreational boating accidents in New Jersey last year, just four fewer than in 2020. The first summer of the pandemic saw the most boating accidents reported in New Jersey in the last five years, with 110 accidents in 2022.

Seven of the accidents in 2023 were fatal, two fewer than the nine fatal boating accidents reported in New Jersey waters in 2020. In 2022, 110 accidents were reported in New Jersey, four of which were fatal.

“Compared to 2022, the number of accidents (in the U.S.) decreased by 4.9%, the number of fatalities decreased by 11.3%, and the number of injuries decreased by 4.3%,” the report said. In the summer of 2020, there were 5,265 accidents, 767 fatalities, 3,191 injuries, and approximately $62.5 million in property damage resulting from recreational boating accidents. “As far as data was available, the vessel types with the highest percentage of fatalities were open powerboats (44%), kayaks (17%), and personal watercraft (8%),” the 2023 report said.

When the Safe Boating Act was first passed more than five decades ago, the number of fatal boating accidents was nearly 21 per 100,000 registered boats. Statistics for 2023 show a fatality rate of just under five deaths per 100,000 registered boats. Yet operator inattention, inexperience, inadequate caution, excessive speed and machinery failure are the five most common causes of accidents.

“We seem to be failing to address some recurring problems,” said Ted Sensenbrenner, director of boating safety at the BoatUS Foundation.

The report concluded that alcohol consumption remains the most important known factor in fatal boating accidents; where the primary cause was known, it was cited as the main factor in 17% of deaths.

In fatal accidents with a known cause of death, 75% of victims drowned. More than 87% of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket, an increase of 2% compared to the 2022 results.

According to the report, violations of navigation rules were responsible for 53% of accidents, 34% of deaths and 60% of injuries where the data were available.

“On boats where instructions were known, 75% of the fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instructions. Only 15% of the fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had received a government-approved boating safety training certificate.”

Collisions with other vessels, objects and groundings were the most common initial incidents, contributing to 56% of accidents, 24% of fatalities and 53% of injuries. The vessel types most commonly involved were open motor boats (45%), personal watercraft (19%) and cabin motor boats (13%).

However, Sensenbrenner said boaters can increase safety measures by saving alcoholic beverages for after boating “or at least having the skipper refrain from alcohol. Keep in mind that intoxicated passengers still pose a risk to themselves.”

He also suggested offering passengers comfortable life jackets to wear. If life jackets are not worn, they should be easily accessible to everyone on board, Sensenbrenner added.

“Coast Guard statistics continue to confirm the value of boating safety training, showing that most fatalities occur on boats operated by people who have not received boating safety training,” he said.

The BoatUs Foundation offers a free online boating safety course that meets the minimum boating safety education requirements in 36 states and reaches more than 2.5 million students. The course goes beyond sitting in front of a computer to include on-the-water training that builds confidence behind the wheel.

“The goal of the BoatUS Foundation is to ensure every boater has the knowledge and resources to use America’s waterways safely and responsibly and to help ensure those numbers are even lower next year,” Sensenbrenner said.

The 11,546,512 recreational craft registered by States in 2023 represent a decrease of 1.9% compared to 2022, when 11,770,383 recreational craft were registered.

— Gina G. Scala

[email protected]