If you live in the state of Florida, chances are fair that you own a boat. The state is a huge peninsula with plenty of scope for water-based activity. You should be aware that proper training in safety practices is essential. This is all the more crucial now that accidents related to boats are on a rapid rise.
Boating accidents are more common than ever
Claims filed on the basis of personal injury are on a rapid rise throughout the state. Many of these claims come as a result of accidents suffered while on a boat. This is hardly surprising since Florida has the most registered vessels in the country with about 985,000, up 50,000 since 2016.
With these figures in mind, it can be assumed that the sheer number of boating accidents is due to this massive total. The past year saw a total of 836 reported boat accidents. This figure represents a rise of over 26% over the 2019 total. However, these stats don’t tell the whole story by themselves.
Safety training is a major concern
Of the 387 collisions that were reported, 224 of these were due to collisions with another vessel, and 163 came about as a result of a run-in with a fixed object. Safety training in Florida has been ranked by experts as some of the most lacking in the nation. Thus, reports of boating accidents keep piling up.
Drowning was the leading reported cause of death, coming in at 47%. Fatally traumatic injuries were ranked second at a total of 39%. It should be noted that 69% of the people operating boats in these incidents had not received any kind of formal safety training.