2023 Recreational Boating Statistics

• In calendar year 2023, the Coast Guard counted 3,844 accidents that involved 564 deaths, 2,126 injuries and approximately $63 million dollars of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents.
•  The fatality rate was 4.9 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. This rate represents a 9.3% decrease from the 2022 fatality rate of 5.4 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels.
• Compared to 2022, the number of accidents decreased 4.9%, the number of deaths decreased 11.3%, and the number of injuries decreased 4.3%.
• Where cause of death was known, 75% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 87% were not wearing a life jacket.
• Where length was known, 4 of every 5 boaters who drowned were using vessels less than 21 feet in length.
• Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; where the primary cause was known, it was listed as the leading factor in 17% of deaths.
• Where instruction was known, 75% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction. Only 15% percent of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had received a nationally-approved boating safety education certificate.
• There were 145 accidents in which at least one person was struck by a propeller. Collectively, these accidents resulted in 23 deaths and 133 injuries.
• Operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed, and machinery failure ranked as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.
• Where data was known, navigation rules violations were a contributing factor in 53% of accidents, 34% of deaths, and 60% of injuries.
• Collisions (with vessels, objects, groundings) were the most frequent first event in accidents, attributing to 56% of accidents, 24% of deaths, and 53% of injuries.
• Where data was known, the most common vessel types involved in reported accidents were open motorboats (45%), personal watercraft (19%), and cabin motorboats (13%).
• Where data was known, the vessel types with the highest percentage of deaths were open motorboats (44%), kayaks (17%), and personal watercraft (8%).
• The 11,546,512 recreational vessels registered by the states in 2023 represent a 1.9% decrease from last year when 11,770,383 recreational vessels were registered.

Boating Safety Statistics Resources

For the latest boating safety statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard, see  https://www.uscgboating.org/

 For latest boating safety statistics from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), see https://myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/accidents/