Boaters, take responsibility for your safety, passengers’

The good news is deaths resulting from recreational boating accidents fell in 2007, according to figures announced by the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division. The count dropped from 710 in 2006 to 688 in 2007, the lowest figure since 2004.

This is possibly a result of more boaters adopting responsible boating behaviors, such as making sure that everyone on board is wearing properly fitting, Coast Guard-approved life jackets at all times.

Many agencies are working to teach recreational boaters how they can make boating safer. These include the U.S. Coast Guard, National Safe Boating Council, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Power Squadron.

The Coast Guard Boating Safety Division also released figures that revealed while fatalities decreased, other measures — including injuries, number of accidents and property damage — rose last year.

Injuries rose from 3,474 in 2006 to 3,686 in 2007. Reported recreational boating accidents, which reached 4,967 in 2006, climbed to 5,223. Property damage, which was a record $43,670,424 in 2006, rose further to $53,288,858 last year.

Top causes for all accidents revealed by 2007 statistics remain fairly consistent with previous years. Operator inattention, careless/reckless operation, passenger/skier behavior, excessive speed and alcohol use rank as the top five contributing factors.

Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; it was listed as the leading factor in 21 percent of the deaths. Where instruction data was submitted, three fourths of the deaths occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction. More than two-thirds of those killed in boating accidents drowned, and of those, 90 percent were not wearing life jackets.

Your Coast Guard Auxiliary of Fernandina Island is asking all boat owners and operators to help reduce fatalities, injuries, property damage and health-care costs related to recreational boating accidents by taking personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their passengers.

Essential steps include always wearing a life jacket and requiring passengers to do the same; never operating a boat — that includes personal water craft and paddle craft such as a kayak or canoe — while under the influence; completing a boating safety course; and getting a free vessel safety check by your Coast Guard Auxiliary.