Safety Record of PWC Use

 

The personal watercraft industry is committed to the high quality of its products and devotes substantial resources towards promoting responsible riding behavior.

 

PWC are remarkable boats, but they should be treated with the same responsibility and caution as any other motorized vessel. PWIA encourages State Legislatures to adopt its model legislation (see Government Relations section) that includes mandatory boater education for all PWC operators, a minimum age requirement of 16 years old to operate a PWC, sunset curfews, and reckless operation restrictions, among other reasonable regulations that help keep our waterways safer. 

 

According to U.S. Coast Guard statistics, 99.99 percent of all PWC are operated accident free. The Coast Guard reported in 2004 that “the number of reported injuries involving PWC use continued on a downward trend and has decreased every year since 1996¹⁸.”

 

Additional Facts:

 

In 1991:

• 99.6 percent of PWC in use were not involved in an accident of any kind (according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics).
• There were an estimated 305,915 PWC in use in the United States¹⁹.
• There were 1,513 reported PWC accidents nationwide, resulting in an accident ratio of 4.95 per 1,000 (according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics).  
• There were 708 reported injuries and 26 reported fatalities; the national injury/fatality rate was 2.31/0.09 per 1,000 PWC²⁰.

In 1994:

• 99.6 percent of PWC in use were not involved in an accident of any kind (according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics).  
• There were an estimated 600,000 PWC in use in the United States²¹.
• There were 3,002 reported PWC accidents nationwide, resulting in an accident ratio of 5.00 per 1,000 (according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics).  
• There were 1,338 reported injuries and 56 reported fatalities; the national injury/fatality rate was 2.23/0.09 per 1,000 PWC²².

In 1999:

• 99.7 percent of PWC in use were not involved in an accident of any kind (according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics).  
• There were an estimated 1.8 million PWC in the United States²³.
• There were 3,374 reported PWC accidents nationwide, resulting in an accident ratio of 2.86 per 1,000 (according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics).  
• There were 1,614 reported injuries and 66 reported fatalities; the national injury/fatality rate was 1.37/0.06 per 1,000 PWC²⁴.

In 2004:

• 99.9 percent of PWC in use were not involved in an accident of any kind (according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics).  
• There were an estimated 1.48 million PWC in the United States²⁵.
• There were 1,767 PWC accidents reported nationwide, resulting in a reported accident ratio of 1.12 per 1,000 (according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics).  
• There were 1,424 reported injuries and 50 reported fatalities; the national injury/fatality rate dropped to a low of 0.64/0.04 per 1,000 PWC²⁶.

 

PWIA Model Legislation

Coast Guard statistics show that the most common cause of boating accidents involves operator inexperience, excessive speed and operator inattention. To address these concerns, PWIA has supported mandatory education for all PWC operators. By the end of 2002, 35 states had enacted PWIA-endorsed mandatory education for PWC users in some form. In each of these states, PWC accident rates have significantly declined.

PWIA has actively advocated for states to adopt its model legislation endorsed by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)²⁷.

 

Florida
The Sunshine State is among the leading states for PWC registrations and has enacted comprehensive PWC laws in recent years, which mirror many of PWIA’s recommendations. As a result, while PWC registrations have increased in Florida by over 50 percent since 1995, PWC accidents have declined by 67 percent (from 508 to 169) over that same period of time, a ten year low²⁸.

Florida’s PWC laws include the following provisions²⁹:

• Mandatory boater safety education for all boaters (including PWC) under 22 years of age.

 

• Each person operating or riding on a personal watercraft must wear an approved Type I, II, III, or V life jacket. Inflatable personal floatation devices are prohibited.

 

• The operator of a personal watercraft must attach the engine cutoff switch lanyard (if equipped by the manufacturer) to his/her body, clothing, or PFD.

 

• PWC may not be operated from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise.

 

• Maneuvering a PWC by weaving through congested vessel traffic, jumping the wake of another vessel unreasonably close, or when visibility around the vessel is obstructed, or swerving at the last possible moment to avoid collision is classified as reckless operation of a vessel (a first degree misdemeanor).

 

• A person must be at least 14 years of age to operate PWC.

 

• It is unlawful for a person to knowingly allow a person under 14 years of age to operate a personal watercraft (a second-degree misdemeanor).

 

• PWC liveries must provide on-the-water demonstration and a check-ride to evaluate the proficiency of renters.

 

• PWC liveries must not rent to anyone under the age of 18 years of age.

 

• PWC liveries must display safety information on proper operation of a PWC. The information must include: propulsion, steering and stopping characteristics of jet pump vessels; the location and content of warning labels; how to re-board a PWC; the applicability of the Navigational Rules to PWC operation; problems with seeing and being seen by other boaters; reckless operation; and noise, nuisance, and environmental concerns.

Other states have enacted similar safety and education legislation and have also seen positive results. Some examples are:

 

Connecticut
Since mandatory education was instituted in Connecticut in 1992, the state has graduated more than 200,000 students. As a result, while PWC registrations have tripled in recent years, the rate of accidents has declined³⁰.

 

Pennsylvania
Since the year 2000, PWC operators have had to attend a mandatory eight-hour education course before being allowed to operate a PWC in Pennsylvania. Starting in 2000, there has been a dramatic drop in PWC accidents and injuries. The state’s annual boating accident report lists the number of reported recreational boating accidents for 2004. Officials recorded 14 PWC accidents in 2004, compared to 36 in 1999. These dramatic reductions, causing the lowest figures since 1992, occurred during a time when thousands of new PWC were registered in the state. The analysis also reports the year 2004 was the twelfth straight year that there were no fatalities involving a PWC³¹.

 

Utah
Mandatory education became required for all PWC operators between 12 and 17 years of age in 1996. Since 1998, there has been a steady decline in PWC-related accidents. In 1998, there were a total of 56 PWC-specific accidents, 54 in 1999, 45 in 2000, and 33 in 2001. Meanwhile, PWC registrations increased from 9,917 in 1998 to 11,854 in 2001³².

 

Wisconsin
Since mandatory education was instituted in Wisconsin in 1991, PWC accidents have decreased by 68 percent³³.

A number of factors must be considered when comparing PWC accidents among states, including the existence of mandatory PWC education, number of PWC registered in the state, and the length of the boating season.

 

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¹⁸USCG 2004 Boating Statistics, Executive Summary.
¹⁹National Marine Manufacturers Association, “Facts and Figures.”
²⁰United States Coast Guard Boating Statistics – 1991.
²¹National Marine Manufacturers Association, “Facts and Figures.”
²²United States Coast Guard Boating Statistics – 1994.
²³National Marine Manufacturers Association, “Facts and Figures.”
²⁴United States Coast Guard Boating Statistics – 1999.
²⁵National Marine Manufacturers Association, “Facts and Figures.”
²⁶United States Coast Guard Boating Statistics – 2004.
²⁷PWIA Model Legislation.
²⁸Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission “2004 Boating Accident Statistics.”
²⁹http://myfwc.com/boating/safety/law_summary.htm
³⁰Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Boating Division.
³¹Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s "2000 Pennsylvania Boating Accident Analysis."
³²Utah Division of Parks and Recreation.
³³Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.