Accidents can happen in seconds without knowing what is happening around you. You can prevent many of the accidents by following the rules. Every year thousands of people are dying in boating accidents. Here are some of the primary causes of boating accidents.
- Boat operator not paying attention
- Improper lookout
- Having less experience
- Over speed
- Alcohol usage
- Not following boating rules
- Improper loading or overloading
- Boat failure or boat equipment failure
- Bad weather
- Rough water and big waves
These are the main causes of boating accidents. You can prevent many of them by following the rules properly and using some common sense. Now, let us go in detail.
Many accidents are happening in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, dams, gravel pits. All the accidents are happening in Calm waters (waves less than 6″) and moderate speed (7 – 14 mph) during day time. This means many boat operators are not paying proper attention while boating.
Check my article on How to prevent boating accidents (opens in a new tab) to understand some of the essential things to do to avoid boating accidents.
1. Boat operator not paying attention
Boat operator inattention is the main reason for the majority of boat accidents. All these accidents are happening during the day time and in normal weather only, not in bad weather or at night time. Each year around 600 accidents and around 40 deaths are happening due to improper attention.
The boat operator needs to pay attention while driving the boat. Keep the hands on the steering wheel all the time. One second time of distraction is enough for an accident to happen. So while driving a boat, don’t distract by any means.
Boat operator inattention is one of the reasons for the majority of boating accidents in 2019. In 2019, 546 accidents, 36 deaths, and 296 injuries occurred due to improper attention (source).
Preventing operator inattention
One of the easy ways to prevent operator inattention while boating is by not doing any other work by themselves. While boating if you want some help for navigating or for calling someone or for signaling others or some other work, ask the crew members for doing that work.
If you are alone in the boat, then you need to do it yourself. While doing other works, slow down the speed and be careful. Doing both the things at a time (driving and other works) will distract you from driving. So, slow down the boat and do it carefully by yourself. If you are not alone in the boat, then it will be easy.
For navigating, take help from the fellow crew members, and tell them to check the heading direction is correct or not. Then you won’t distract much while boating.
For calling someone, take help from the fellow crew members, and tell them to call the person, and convey the message with the help of the crew members. Then you won’t distract much while boating.
Like this, you can take help from the crew members, and they will do the work for you. Then you won’t distract much while boating. If you are alone in the boat, then you first slow down the boat and do the work carefully by yourself.
2. Improper lookout
Improper lookout while driving the boat is one of the major causes of boating accidents. As a boat operator, you need to check the surroundings and listen to the sounds carefully. Each year around 400 accidents and around 25 deaths are happening due to improper lookout while driving the boat.
The skipper needs to be careful while boating and need to check the surroundings carefully by using a radar or binoculars or taking help from the crew members. In 2019, 506 accidents, 26 deaths, and 425 injuries occurred due to improper lookout while driving the boat (source).
Preventing improper lookout
The best way to prevent improper lookout while boating is by using some of the safety equipment such as radar, binoculars, visual or sound signaling devices, etc.. Or take help from the crew members to look out properly. So, you won’t distract much while driving the boat.
If you are alone in the boat, then you need to do it yourself. While doing other works, slow down the speed and be careful. Doing both the things at a time (driving and other works) will distract you. So, slow down the boat and do it carefully by yourself. If you are not alone in the boat, then it will be easy.
Using radars will not distract you from driving because it will be near the steering wheel. Anyway, do it carefully while driving the boat. If it is far away from your position, then ask the crew members to check the radar constantly while boating.
Using binoculars is a bit hard while driving the boat. If there are fewer boaters near you, then it is fine to use. If there are many boaters near you, then tell the crew members to a lookout.
In such a way, you can take help from the crew members, and they will do the work for you. Then you won’t distract much while boating, and the crew members will look out for you. If you are alone in the boat, then you slow down the boat and do the work carefully by yourself.
3. Having less experience
Having less experience is one of the major causes of boating accidents. If the skipper doesn’t have enough experience, then he might not be able to make good decisions while boating in bad situations. Each year around 400 accidents and around 40 deaths are happening due to inexperience in boating.
The best way to overcome this by boating regularly in all types of weather conditions, then you will experience all the cases, and you will make good decisions during a bad situation. In 2019, 458 accidents, 39 deaths, and 273 injuries occurred due to having inexperience in boating (source).
Overcoming inexperience
One of the best ways to overcome inexperience in boating is by taking a small boating safety course and driving the boat regularly in all types of weather. By doing these two things, you will get good experience in the boating, and you will make the correct decisions in bad situations.
In the boating safety course, they will teach you about everything in the boat (about life jackets, throwable devices, communication devices, controls, etc). They will teach how to use all the boating safety equipment, and they will tell when you need to use them.
By knowing all the things about the boat and knowing how to operate them, you will get enough confidence. So, you won’t get frightened and won’t make any bad decisions because you know what to do.
Driving the boat regularly is the thing you need to after completing the boating safety course. Then with all the driving experiences you had, you will become a more experienced boater.
4. Over speed
Over speed is one of the reasons for boating accidents. If you drive the boat too fastly, you can’t control it quickly if anything comes in between (rocks or other boats). Each year around 250 accidents and around 30 deaths are happening due to driving the boat fastly.
While driving the boat fastly, you can’t see anything clearly what is there in front of you. If there are some rocks or other boater comes suddenly, then it will be hard to control the boat. In 2019, 358 accidents, 22 deaths, and 325 injuries occurred due to driving the boat fastly (source).
Preventing Overspeed
The best way to prevent over-speed while driving a boat is by going slowly. If the weather is good, there are no big waves, and there are no other boats near you, then you can drive fastly. Based on the weather, drive the boat nicely to prevent any boating accidents.
Decrease the boat speed if you are driving near the shore or if there are many other boaters near you. So by doing that, you will protect yourself and others while boating.
You need to go moderately in the rough waters. If the waves are too choppy, then you may need to increase the speed a little bit. If the waves are less choppy, then you might not need to increase the speed. At what speed you need to travel in rough seas all depends on the waves.
According to USCG, 417 accidents happened in a year due to over speed. In those 147 are open motorboats, and 179 are personal watercraft (sources). You need to be careful while boating in rough water and constantly check the surroundings as well.
5. Alcohol usage
Drinking alcohol while boating is one of the causes of many boating accidents. If you drink alcohol, you might not be able to control your body properly. Most of the deaths related to boating accidents are caused due to driving the boat after drinking alcohol.
Boating under the influence can affect your balance, which is very crucial in the boat. When you are unstable in moving platforms (like a boat), you can easily fall overboard. Alcohol decreases the ability to react to several different signals at once. So, don’t do boating under the influence.
In 2019, 282 accidents, 113 deaths, and 221 injuries occurred due to driving the boat after drinking alcohol (source).
Preventing alcohol while driving a boat
If you are the operator of the boat, then don’t drink alcohol at all. Even if the crew members offer you to drink one, don’t drink. The skipper should not drink alcohol in the boat. If he drinks alcohol and drives the boat, then there is a high risk for an accident.
It is legal to carry alcohol in the boat, but the skipper should not drink alcohol at all in the boat.
If you are under the influence and fall overboard, then it isn’t easy to get back into the boat. Suppose, if you are alone in the boat, then it is tough to get back into the boat. If you are not alone in the boat, then with the help of your friends, you might get in the boat.
With alcohol in your blood, the numbing effects of cold water occur much faster than when you are sober. Within minutes, you may not be able to call for help, swim to a float, or reach the safety of the boat.
Check my article on Getting back on a boat after falling out (opens in a new tab) to know how to get back into the boat without a ladder.
Check this Boatus website on boating under influence click here (opens in a new tab).
6. Not following boating rules
Neglecting the boating rules is one of the major causes of boating accidents. If you don’t know the boating rules, then you don’t know what to do if some other boaters drive near you. Each year around 200 accidents and around 20 deaths are happening due to not knowing the boating rules.
Knowing the boating rules is essential if you are driving the boat. Without knowing them, you might cause problems for you and other boaters too. In 2019, 235 accidents, 21 deaths, and 141 injuries occurred due to not following the boating rules(source).
Know the boating rules
Knowing the boating rules is essential if you are driving the boat. You can take a small boating safety course to get more knowledge about them. Without knowing them, you might cause problems for you and other boaters too. So, learn the boating rules.
Suppose, if someone comes in the opposite direction, then you need to turn a little bit towards the right side, they also will do the same. If you don’t know the rules, then if you turn towards the left side, you might hit the boat, which is coming in the opposite direction.
The basic rules for a boat are (Now assume that you are driving the boat, and you see the boat approaching, then do accordingly, the boats are moving in X-axis direction, and you are moving in Y-direction assume like that).
- If the boat is moving towards the left side. Then you should give them the way, let them cross first and then you make a move.
- If the boat is moving towards the right side. Then you should give them the way, let them cross first and then you make a move.
- If you see the boat coming in the opposite direction, then you need to move a little bit towards the right side and then move on.
These are some of the basic boating rules, you need to know while boating. So, don’t forget to check the USCG website for more boating rules. The better way is to take a small boating course, many of them are free.
7. Improper loading or overloading
Overloading the boat is one of the causes of boating accidents. If the boat is overloaded, then the boat might tilt or capsize, and everyone may fall in the water. Sometimes, people might trap under the boat. Each year around 100 accidents and 50 deaths are happening due to overloading the boat.
This is an essential thing you need to see if your boat is exceeding the capacity or not. For many boats, you can see the weight capacity of the boat near the stern or the helm. In 2019, 100 accidents, 41 deaths, and 52 injuries occurred due to overloading the boat (source).
Check my article on Preventing capsizing a boat (opens in a new tab) to prevent capsizing the boat and what to do if your boat capsizes.
Preventing boat overloading
You can prevent overloading the boat by checking the boat maximum weighted capacity sticker. You can find that near the stern or the helm. By checking the sticker, decide how many people can sit in the boat. If you don’t have that sticker, then use the rule of thumb for finding maximum members.
If you don’t have the boats maximum weight capacity sticker on the boat, then follow the rule of thumb for finding how many members can sit in a boat.
You can find that by using this formula. Length of the boat times width of the boat divided by 15. Then you will get how many members can sit in the boat. In this case, the weight of each person is the average weight(around 150 lbs).
Suppose the length of the boat is 15 feet, and the width of the boat is 5 feet. Then the seating capacity is (15 * 5) / 15 = 5 members. Calculate like this for your boat, if you don’t have the boat capacity sticker.
8. Boat failure or boat equipment failure
Boat failure or boat equipment failure is one of the major causes of boating accidents. Some of them are engine failure, throttle failure, helm failure, shift failure, equipment failure, etc. Each year around 400 accidents and around 20 deaths are happening due to boat failure or equipment failure.
In 2019, 526 accidents, 22 deaths, and 108 injuries occurred due to boat failure or boat equipment failure (source). Some of the major boat failures or boat equipment failures are listed below (source).
- Engine failure
- Electrical system failure
- Throttle failure
- Steering system failure
- Shift failure
- Auxiliary equipment failure
Preventing boat failure or boat equipment failure
The best way to prevent a boat failure or boat equipment failure is by checking the boat engine and boat equipment regularly or before starting the trip. You need to check the condition of all the safety equipment regularly and maintain them properly if you are not using them for a long time.
Proper maintenance is the only way to prevent equipment failure or boat failure. Such as, checking the boat before starting the ride, checking whether all the safety equipment is working properly or not before starting the trip, and always keep the tool kit in the boat. So, by having a tool kit, you can repair the boat immediately if it is a small problem.
Check the boat before starting the ride. Check the condition of the boat and then start the ride. Every time after coming from boating, clean the boat properly, especially the outboard motor.
It is essential to flush the outboard motor, with water, after every use. If you are using the boat in saltwater, then flush the outboard motor after every use. If you are using your boat in freshwater, then flush the outboard motor after using your boat for two or three times.
After bringing back the boat from the water. Check whether there is any water in the bilge area or not, and clean it properly. You should drain the boat completely, after removing it from the water.
Keep all the safety equipment in the boat and check the expiry dates for flares, fire extinguishers, etc. Check whether all the electronic devices (like VHF radio, EPIRB, etc) have enough charge or not in it. After finishing the check, then start the ride.
These are the major things you need to do after coming from the ride or before starting the ride, to prevent any boat failure or equipment failure in a boat. Also, check my article on 11 Simple maintenance tips for a boat: DIY (opens in a new tab). In that article, I mentioned all the DIY maintenance tips.
Check my article on Safety equipment for a boat: 31 things you need (opens in a new tab). In that article, I mentioned all the gear every boater needs to have on their boat.
9. Bad weather
Bad weather is one of the major causes of boating accidents. Weather can change within minutes after starting the trip. Each year around 200 accidents and around 40 deaths are happening due to bad weather. So, don’t go boating in bad weather.
In 2019, 184 accidents, 31 deaths, and 58 injuries occurred due to bad weather (source).
Preventing bad weather
The best way to prevent bad weather while boating is by checking the weather before starting the ride. Every time before starting the boat, you need to do one thing, checking the weather. This is the essential step you need to do when you are thinking to go for boating.
Follow some apps or websites like the windy app or AccuWeather website or some other websites for the broadcasting news. Listen to them properly before starting the ride. You can listen to channel 16 in VHF radio constantly for weather updates (they will tell you about the weather changes 24/7).
Your whole ride depends on this step. Sometimes you might be boating in a lake or sea, and suddenly the weather might change. Weather can change very quickly, so you need to prepared for everything. You should have a plan for coming back to the shore quickly if the weather changes.
Overall, you need to check the weather before starting the ride, and you need to have a plan for coming back safely to the shore if the weather changes while you are boating in the lake or sea.
10. Rough water and big waves
Rough water and big waves are some of the causes of boating accidents. No one can predict the weather it can change very quickly without knowing what is happening around you. Each year around 350 accidents and around 70 deaths are happening due to rough water and bad waves.
In 2019, 310 accidents, 60 deaths, and 204 injuries occurred due to rough water and big waves (source).
Preventing rough waters an big waves
The best way to prevent rough waters an big waves while boating is by checking the weather before starting the ride. Every time before starting the boat, you need to do one thing, checking the weather. This is the essential step you need to do when you are thinking to go for boating.
Check the weather before starting the ride. Sometimes while you are checking the weather(before staring the ride), it might be good. But after starting the ride (while boating), the weather might change. You can listen to channel 16 in VHF radio constantly for weather updates (they will tell you about the weather changes 24/7).
You need to have a plan for coming back to the shore safely if the weather changes while boating. Some of the basic tips for boating in rough water are listed below.
Don’t panic. If you panic while boating, especially in rough waters, you might cause many problems by making bad decisions. So, don’t panic while boating in rough waters.
Slow down. Don’t go too fast in rough water. That doesn’t mean that you need to go too slowly. Drive with moderate speed while boating in rough waters.
Wear a life jacket. Wear a life jacket that fits properly to your body. And try to choose a life jacket that has a small whistle on it and a small light on it as well (if possible).
Take extra fuel. Just take extra fuel whether you will use or not. In rough waters, it is hard to tell how much fuel do we need. Generally, driving in rough water requires more fuel than in normal waters.
Tie the kill switch to hand or a life jacket. This step is essential if you are boating in rough waters. Especially in rough waters, there is a high probability of falling off the boat.
Keep all the safety equipment in the boat. Have all the safety equipment like VHF radio and EPIRB in the boat while thinking to do boating in rough waters or seas or oceans.
Check my article on Safety tips for boating in rough waters (opens in a new tab). In this article, I mentioned all the safety measures you need to take while boating in rough waters.
Bottom line
These are the main types of boating accidents. To know more about them, check your countries boating website. Whenever you are thinking to go for boating, check the weather in prior and go. Wear an appropriate life jacket that fits you properly and keep all the safety equipment in the boat.
Keep all the throwable devices on the boat and then start the ride. If you are thing about safety tips for boating, then check my article on Safety tips for boating: A detailed guide (opens in a new tab). In that article, I mentioned the main safety tips for boating.