BTS | Table 2-44: Personal Watercraft () Safety Data

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Table 2-44: Personal Watercraft Safety Data

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	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Fatalities	5	20	20	28	26	34	35	56	68	57	84	78	66	68	50	71	57	56	65	68
Injured persons	156	254	402	532	708	730	915	1,338	1,617	1,837	1,812	1,743	1,614	1,580	1,424	1,362	1,228	952	1,007	919
Accidents^a	376	650	844	1,162	1,513	1,650	2,236	3,002	3,986	4,099	4,070	3,607	3,374	3,268	2,562	2,225	1,994	1,664	1,692	1,631
Sales	29,000	48,000	64,000	72,000	68,000	79,000	107,000	142,000	200,000	191,000	176,000	130,000	106,000	92,000	80,900	79,300	80,600	79,500	80,200	82,200
Number in use	92,756	126,881	178,510	241,376	305,915	372,283	454,545	600,000	760,000	900,000	1,000,000	(R) 1,180,000	(R) 1,200,000	(R) 1,230,000	(R) 1,220,000	(R) 1,220,000	(R) 1,170,000	(R) 1,250,000	(R) 1,230,000	1,220,000

KEY: R = revised.

^a Total vessels involved.

NOTES

Personal watercraft are less than 13 feet in length and are designed to be operated by a person or persons sitting, standing, or kneeling on the craft rather than within the confines of the hull.

Data on personal watercraft sales and number in use are estimates.

SOURCES

Fatalities, injuries, and accidents:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (formerly U.S. Department of Transportation), United States Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety, Boating Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), Internet site http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_stats.htm as of Nov. 8, 2007.

Sales:

1987-90: Personal Watercraft Industry Association, Internet site http://www.pwia.org/Abo_PWC.htm as of June 19, 2000.

1991-2006: Ibid., Internet site http://www.nmma.org/facts/boatingstats/2006/files/Abstract.pdf as of Nov. 8, 2007.

Use:

1987-96: National Marine Manufacturers Association, data compiled by the United States Coast Guard, personal communications.

1997-98: Ibid., Internet site http://www.nmma.org/facts/boatingstats/statistic98.html as of June 19, 2000.

1999-2006: Ibid., Internet site http://www.nmma.org/facts/boatingstats/2006/files/Abstract.pdf as of Nov. 8, 2007.