MORE OHIO BOATERS THAN EVER SAY STATE WATERWAYS ARE VERY SAFE
Survey results give strong vote of confidence
to waterway management

COLUMBUS, OH – Ninety-five percent of Ohio’s recreational boaters feel state waterways are “very safe,” according to those polled in a survey by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Results of the 2004 survey are being announced as the boating community celebrates National Safe Boating Week, May 20-27.

“Our goal is to continuously improve waterway safety for Ohio’s boaters,” said Ken Alvey, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft. “We are proud of our waterway management programs and it is gratifying to know that our efforts are being recognized by the state’s boating community.”

A similar survey done in 1999 showed that 88 percent of Ohio boaters believed waterways were very safe. The Division of Watercraft noted that boating-related accidents and injuries have declined since it began record keeping in 1960, while the number of registered watercraft and boating participants have increased over the same period.

“Better boat designs and engineering, stronger education programs and increased watercraft officer presence on the water have combined to make the recreational boating environment much safer in Ohio and nationwide,” said Alvey.

Ohio recorded a high of 73 boating-related fatalities in 1973 and a low of seven fatalities in 2004. In 1960, when the Division of Watercraft began record keeping a total of 98,562 watercraft were registered statewide. Last year, Ohio registered 414,938 watercraft.

An estimated 3 million Ohioans enjoy recreational boating yearly. The recreational boating industry generates a statewide economic impact estimated at $2 billion annually and helps to support the full time equivalent of more than 19,000 jobs.

In addition to safety concerns, the survey measured boater education participation. One in five boaters said they had taken a boating education course within the past five years with the majority of those taking courses offered by the U.S. Power Squadrons. Approval ratings for boating education programs increased in all categories from the 2001 survey.

The average age of Ohio boat owners responding to the random survey was 53 years with an average of 26 years of boating experience. The average Ohio boat owner has a 15 year-old boat, 20 feet long, powered by an average of 145 horsepower.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported in 2003 that 705 people died in boating-related accidents nationwide with nearly 500 of those individuals drowning. Of those persons who drowned in a boating-related accident, 86 percent failed to wear or properly wear a life jacket. The core message of National Safe Boating Week is to always wear a life jacket while on the water.