Summertime Safety Tips For Orange County Boaters.

With a coastline stretching over 42 miles and pristine beaches, the waters off of Orange County teem with swimmers, sea doos, jet skis, and boats during the sweltering summer months. Unfortunately, the incidence of personal injury from accidents is higher in Orange County than in many other California counties, explains a local lawyer. According to the most recently released accident statistics from the California Department of Boating and Waterways, Orange County was second only to San Diego County in the number of boating accidents that occurred in the state in 2008, which may help explain the high injury rate.

Nationwide, there were 4,730 recreational boating accidents in 2009, resulting in 736 deaths and 3,358 injuries, according to the United States Coast Guard. Moreover, throughout the past 10 years, more than 7,000 boaters have died, approximately 5,000 of them by drowning. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, boaters’ adherence to two safety measures—wearing a personal flotation device (life jacket) and taking boater safety courses—often determines whether or not they will survive an accident. Just five factors contribute to the majority of boating accidents: operator inattention, operator inexperience, excessive speed, improper lookout, and alcohol use.

Alcohol use contributes to more fatal boating accidents than any other factor and was sited as the primary cause in 16 percent of the boating fatalities suffered in 2009. One incident that occurred in Huntington Harbor that year illustrates how deadly operating a boat while intoxicated can be. Shortly before 1:00 a.m., police received reports of reckless boating in the harbor; 10 minutes later, they received reports of men floating in the water. After conducting an extensive overnight search, rescuers found one of the men’s bodies under a dock and the other’s floating in the water nearby. They found a third man still in the boat of which the three men had been occupants, along with several beer cans. They determined that, given the high tide that night, the men should have ducked when passing under a bridge in the harbor. However, there may not have been time, as the men were reported to have been speeding.

As people flock to the Orange County coastline this summer, it is important for them to take safety measures while engaging in recreational boating:

-Never operate a boat while intoxicated.

-Always wear a life jacket while onboard. California state law requires boat owners to have a safety jacket for each person aboard the boat, according to a lawyer in the state. The owner is responsible for the well-being of his or her passengers and may be held liable for any personal injury sustained on the boat.

-Complete a recreational boating safety course approved by your state.
With the proper precautions, boating can be a fun and safe summer activity.

By: Larry Drexel

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Larry Drexel is a Public Relations manager. To obtain free, informative books or articles he suggests visiting Orange County injury lawyer.