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Take an active role in preventing Chicago boating accidents this summer

By Kris Briggs

Memorial Day weekend typically ushers in the beginning of the Illinois boating season and authorities are urging everyone on the water to practice safe boating in an effort to reduce serious and fatal Chicago boating accidents.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources reports that 25 people were killed and 71 injured in more than 100 Illinois boating accidents last year. Nationwide, the U.S. Coast Guard reported 709 deaths and more than 3,300 injuries as a result of boating accidents during 2008.

Illinois personal watercraft accidents and jet ski accidents continue to be a cause for concern. Last week, a 28-year-old man was killed in a jet ski accident on Lake Marie in Antioch, ABC 7 reported.

Not surprisingly, boating accidents peak in the summer months, with June (733), July (1,136) and August (848) accounting for nearly half of all boating accidents nationwide in 2008. About half of all boating accidents occur in lakes and ponds (2,267), while 112 occurred on the Great Lakes and 348 happened in Ocean or Gulf waters.

Boating Safety and Statistics

-Over two-thirds of boating accident victims drown; 90 percent were not wearing a life vest.

-Only 1 in 10 boating accidents occur in boats operated by a captain who has received boating safety instruction.

-The five primary causes of boating accidents are reckless operation, operator inattention, failure to establish a proper lookout, operator inexperience, and passenger/skier behavior.

-Alcohol use is a leading factor in approximately 1 of every 7 fatal boating accidents.

-Primary accident types are collision with another vessel, flooding, collision with a fixed object, falling overboard and skiing mishaps.

-Leading causes of boating deaths are drowning, trauma, hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning and cardiac arrest.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources offers boating safety courses and safety tips.

The Safe Boating Council offers the following safety tips as part of a free Safe Boating Checklist:

-Enroll in a swim course and safe boating course; arm yourself with the skills necessary to stay safe on the water.

-Wear a life vest.

-Use Carbon Monoxide detectors in enclosed areas.

-Keep an eye on the weather and react accordingly.

-File a float plan; communicate your trip details to a friend, including where you are going, who will be on the boat and when you expect to return.

-Never operate a boat while drinking alcohol.

-Keep boat chemicals properly stocked and out of reach of children.

-Keep CPR instructions and emergency numbers in a prominent location on the boat.

-Maintain constant supervision of children.

-Do not swim near a boat's exhaust or sit on the platform while a boat is running.

Full post as published by Illinois Injury Law Blog on June 05, 2010 (boomark / email).