According to a recent report from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, there were 154 boating accidents statewide during 2009. The majority – 133, were classified as non-fatal, while 21 accidents resulted in 22 fatalities. Additionally, there were 203 vessels involved in the 154 accidents, which caused 104 persons to require medical treatment. The year ended with a total of 368,004 boats registered throughout the state, an increase of 42,513 over 2008.
Lake Norman had 12 boating accidents, ranking it second in the state behind the Intracoastal Waterway with 20 total accidents. There were no fatal boating accidents listed for Lake Norman in the 2009 report.
Statewide, the leading type of fatal accident involved a victim jumping or falling overboard. The state report listed 12 such fatal events. The two main types of non-fatal accidents, accounting for 54 cases, were collisions with another vessel and/or collision with a fixed object. Operator inattention, operator inexperience, and careless/reckless operation were the leading causes of the non-fatal accidents.
New boat operator regulations taking effect in 2010, require boat operators under the age of 26 to have completed an approved boating safety course. This new regulation is responsible for the dramatic increase in the number of students completing boater education courses during 2009.
A total of 17,328 students received boater education certificates, compared to 4,363 the previous year. The 2010 boater safety course regulation is long overdue, as evidenced by the fact that only 25 percent of boat operators involved in fatal and non-fatal accidents had completed a boating safety education course.
The 2009 report should be a red flag to all boaters, particularly the statistics concerning operator inattention, carelessness/reckless driving.
For more information about approved boating safety courses, visit the following web sites.
- North Carolina Resources Commission
www.ncwildlife.org - US Power Squadron
www.usps.org - US Coast Guard Auxiliary
www.uscgaux.org - Lighthouse Marine Service
www.LMService.org
Captain Gus Gustafson is licensed by the US Coast Guard, a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and a Professional Sport Fishing Guide. Visit Capt. Gus at www.FishingWithGus.com, e-mail Gus@lakenorman.com or call 704-617-6812.