Recreational Boating Accidents Reach Over 4,000 Per Year
Summer marks boating season in the U.S. Our analysis of Bureau of Transportation Statistics data highlights which states have the highest rates of boating accidents, deaths and alcohol-related boating accidents.
- There were 43,552 recreational boating accidents in the U.S. during the 10-year period from 2012 to 2021.
- There were 4,439 boating accidents in 2021 alone.
- Florida was home to the most boating accidents in 2021 (723) as well as the most during the 10-year study period (6,819).
- Alcohol is a factor in more than 7% of boating accidents, or around 330 per year.
- There are more than 640 boating fatalities every year on average. 658 people died in recreational boating accidents in 2021.
More than 4,300 boating accidents occur every year on U.S. waterways, according to our analysis of the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
In 2021 alone, there were 4,439 boating accidents in the U.S. on lakes, rivers and coastal beaches, resulting in 658 fatalities.
Between 2012 and 2021, there were 43,552 recreational boating accidents in the U.S., resulting in 6,471 fatalities.
The chart below shows the number of boating accidents in each state in 2021 and the total number of boating accidents in each state over a 10-year period from 2012 to 2021.
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Boating accidents spiked in each of the top three states for accidents in 2021.
- The state of Florida was home to 723 boating accidents in 2021 after averaging 677 per year in the nine years prior.
- California averaged 379 per year but saw 454 boating accidents in 2021.
- Texas averaged 182 per year before recording 238 boating accidents in 2021.
Tragically, many boating accidents result in fatalities. There were 658 recreational boating deaths on U.S. waters in 2021 and 6,471 fatalities total between 2012 and 2021.
Once again, Florida, Texas and California accounted for the top three states on the list.
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While the number of deaths in Florida and California can be explained by the sheer total of boating accidents in those states, some states had a higher than expected number of deaths relative to the number of accidents.
- Texas averaged one death for every 4.1 boating accidents.
- Washington had one death for every 4.7 accidents
- Michigan recorded one death for every 4.9 boating accidents.
By comparison, Florida averaged one death for every 11 accidents, and California averaged one fatality for every 9.2 accidents.
Alcohol plays a role in a number of boating accidents across the U.S. Alcohol was found to have been a factor in 330, or roughly 7.4%, of boating accidents in 2021.
That number is consistent with the 10-year trend from 2012 to 2021 in which 7.6% of boating accidents involved alcohol.
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As with the number of total boating accidents in 2021, Florida, Texas and California also accounted for the most alcohol-related accidents. However, the percentage of accidents in which alcohol was ruled a factor was at or below the national average in all three states.
Comparatively, states like Minnesota (16%), Louisiana (14.4%) and Wisconsin (12.6%) experienced alcohol-related accident rates that were near (or exceeded) double the national average.
The U.S. Coast Guard provides a number of resources to support safe recreational boating.
The figures used for this report came from 2021 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics. This is the most recent data available.
