Boat crash appears to be self-explanatory: they occur on or with a boat. It does, however, cover a wide range of fatal crashes and vessels, from sailboats to speedboats to watercraft (jet skis) to hovercraft. The most common accidents involve colliding with another vessel or colliding with an obstacle, such as a reef or a dock.
When a boating accident occurs on a lake or river, local regulations likely cover it. However, if your boating incident happens at sea, it will be subject to maritime law. It is a very complicated area of federal law. Because the coastal regions belong to the United States as a whole, maritime law applies.
Common boating accidents
Boating accidents, like car accidents, can occur in various ways. It is a popular misunderstanding that they only occur in stormy seas or when clarity is bad (or when giant sharks attack). In reality, these accidents frequently occur during the day, on waterways, and in ideal sailing situations. It is because most people who go boating do so during daylight hours with windy conditions. People try to avoid getting out over the water on hazy, foggy, or windy days because they raise the risk of disaster.
The Coast Guard should mention a boating accident if such conditions are met. These criteria are as follows:
- If a person’s life is lost,
- If there is a major injury that necessitates remedy beyond first aid,
- If a person has gone missing, but there is cause to suppose they have been hurt or killed,
- A boat has been destroyed.
- The total extent of destruction caused by accident is at least $2,000
- And one of such conditions should be met before such a report can be submitted.
Boating crashes happen for various reasons, the most prevalent of which is by far the most preventable: alcohol. In 2014, alcohol use was responsible for 277 accidents, 248 injuries, and 108 deaths. It is ethically wrong in Florida to continue operating a water vessel while under the influence of alcohol 0.08 percent or higher alcohol content. Even so, operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol could be a serious mistake.
Here are the top three reasons for boating accidents:
- Controller inattention: Boat operators must keep watchful and monitor their boat, the weather, and any other hazardous circumstances or nearby objects because Sea situations can be unexpected. Technicians must take a glance for early detection of any dangers out there.
- Inadequate lookout: Some other major reason for accidental drownings is in the absence of an appropriate watchful who’d been assigned to observe for vulnerabilities or dangers.
- Controller lack of experience: According to the yearly survey of the United States Coast Guard, controller lack of experience was the third leading cause of accidental drownings. Technicians must not only understand the fundamentals of boating and route planning rules, but they must also be ready. They must, however, be ready to deal with emergency cases.
Conclusion
Those who caused your boat crash may be found responsible and ordered to reimburse you for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and misery, or the unlawful death of loved ones. Florida has by far the most enrolled leisure boats and watercraft of any state in the United States. Sadly, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the state also ranks first in accidental drownings.
However, it is not that a boat crash cannot be avoided. One has to be vigilant and careful while driving being in a boat to prevent any accidents. Stay safe and be careful while you are on a boat. You also have to be wise in how to choose the right sailing boat so you can have a boat that is durable.