DBW’s analysis of 1996 boating accidents found implications for PWC safety that users should be aware of. In 1996, 850 boating accidents, involving 537 injuries, 56 deaths, and $2,241,700 in property damage, were reported to the Department. As of December 31, 1996, there were 141,213 PWC registered in California, comprising 16% of registered vessels. During the 1996 calendar year, 385 PWC-related accidents were reported, resulting in 298 injuries, 8 fatalities, and $508,300 in property damage. PWC account for 16% of all vessels registered in California, but were involved in 45% of all accidents, 55% of all injuries, 14% of all fatalities, and 23% of all property damage. Other findings:

Operator inexperience was the number one cause of PWC-related accidents, figuring in 49% of PWC accidents, notably operator inexperience in operating jet-powered vessels. Many operators do not realize that when they let off the throttle, they lose steering capacity, contributing to numerous accidents. Second was operator inattention (47%), followed closely by and excessive speed (43%).  70% of PWC involved in accidents were not being used by the registered owner; 56% of the PWC involved in accidents were borrowed, and 14% were rented.
69% of PWC accidents involved collisions with other vessels, most often another PWC.  In collisions with vessels other than PWC, the PWC operator was nearly 3 times as likely to be exclusively at fault.  PWC operators involved in accidents were more likely to be younger operators. The median age of a PWC operator was 24. The median age of all operators of all vessels involved in accidents was 31.

Nearly 1/4 of all PWC-related accidents involved PWC operators performing radical maneuvers just prior to the accident. These maneuvers included wake jumping, executing donuts (360 degree turns), playing chicken, or most often, purposely spraying another vessel. These maneuvers resulted in some very serious injuries as well as one fatality in 1996.

When two PWC collided, 44% of the cases involved operators who knew each other and were riding together. Most of these collisions involved two distinct types of activity prior to the collisions. The first type of activity, which resulted in 50% of the accidents, involved two operators traveling one behind the other. The operator in the rear was following at an unsafe distance and the operator in the lead made a turn without looking, and a collision resulted. The second type of activity, which caused 25% of the collisions, involved radical maneuvers which included wake jumping, donuts, playing chicken, or most often, purposely spraying another vessel.

Recommendations: The Department has completed production of a public safety announcement highlighting the dangers of PWC operators performing radical maneuvers, for distribution to TV stations throughout California, and a PWC safety video that on the rules of the road, operating instructions, and other safety information, for distribution to users educators, marine dealers, establishments that rent PWC, PWC clubs, and boating organizations.

The Department is creating two courses to train boaters in the proper operation of PWC, a high school PWC safety course, which will be available in December, 1997, and a PWC practical handling curriculum for all ages, focusing on operation and safe boat handling. It is designed to be incorporated into existing safety courses offered by organizations such as the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. Power Squadrons, marine enforcement agencies, and aquatic centers. The development of this curriculum is scheduled to get under way in July 1997.