Analyzing the frequency and severity of recreational boating accidents in Atlantic coast inlets of the United States from New York to Florida
Date
2005
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Undoubtedly, recreational boating in the United States is both an economically important and popular pastime. According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, over 68 million Americans participated in recreational boating in 2001, using 17 million boats and spending $12 billion on boats and accessories. For these boat operators, coastal inlets (predominant along the U.S. East Coast) pose significant navigational threats as compared with other coastal features, such as inland bays and open seas. For the 4 7 Atlantic Ocean inlets from New York to Florida examined in this study, the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety recorded 493 recreational boating accidents from 1995 to 2001. These accidents involved 617 vessels and resulted in 19 deaths, 188 severe injuries, and more than $2,334,000 in property damage. ☐ The goals of this study are twofold. First, in an exploratory sense, this study seeks to detem1ine the factors whether human error, environmental conditions, or vessel-related problems primarily responsible for these accidents and their severe outcomes. Second, in an investigative sense, this study seeks to detem1ine if the presence of jetties at an inlet is a significant predictor of either boating accident frequency or severity. Much debate, indeed, has arisen over jetty construction in the United States, with the traditional argument citing the need for jetties from a navigational safety standpoint and a newer argument contending that jetties could, in fact, lead to increased boating accidents as well as increased severity of those accidents. ☐ The author collected numerous boat usage proxies, other inlet-specific variables, and Coast Guard accident data. Four regression models were then constructed, the first predicting accident rates and the remaining three predicting accident severity. Regarding boating safety, the findings suggest the need for enhanced regulations governing boating education and alcohol consumption. Negative binomial regression also reveals jetties as significant predictors of boating accidents, most likely through a combination of jetty risk replacement (rather than risk removal) and increased congestion fostered by jetties. This finding, along with the insignificance of jetties in reducing accident severity whether in terms of property damage, severe injury, or loss of life has implications for the current design of jetty benefit-cost analyses.