It really isn't fair to quote someone talking nationally, especially when the Marine Patrol apparently disagrees.
So here are the stats that apply locally and the Marine Patrol comments on speed:
New Hampshire Boating Accident Statistics, 2004 (the most recent year available)
Source:
http://www.uscgboating.org/statistic...dent_stats.htm
Number of boats registered: (excluding sailboats under 20’) 101,626
Number of accidents: 35
Number of fatalities: 2
Types of accidents:
Collision with fixed object - 2
Collision with another vessel – 11
Ejected from vessel - 1
Falls with boat - 5
Falls on PWC - 1
Grounding - 3
Skier mishap - 1
Struck by boat - 2
Struck by motor or prop - 2
Struck submerged object - 3
Drowning - 1
Other deaths - 1
Total deaths - 2
Total injuries - 15
Alcohol related fatalities: 0
Alcohol related injured: 2
Accidents involving alcohol: 2
From the 1/31/06 Valley News
Complete article at:
http://www.vnews.com/01312006/2865287.htm
“Few boating accidents in the state are caused by speeding, according to the New Hampshire Marine Patrol.
Of 269 accidents recorded from 2000 through 2004, only 19 (7 percent) involved boats exceeding the proposed limits, according to Marine Patrol Lt. Tim Dunleavy. None of the accidents resulted in fatalities.
The state already has some laws governing speed on the water. Boaters are not allowed to go above headway speed-- idling speed-- if they are within 150 feet of another boat.
The Marine Patrol has not taken an official position on the bill, but the patrol's head administrator questioned its merits in an interview yesterday.
“I'm somewhat confused as to whether the proponents of the bill are trying to be discriminatory against a particular kind of boat, or if they think that the passing of such a law is going to curb the perceived carnage that's out there,” said David Barrett, the director of the Division of Safety Services. “It will be difficult to enforce, but if the legislature passes it, we'll deal with it. It will not yield the same results it does on the highway.”
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According to Coast Guard statistics there have been 320 boating accidents in the entire state of NH between 2000 and 2004. Unfortunately the CG Stats do not say where in the state the accidents occurred.
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Massachusetts has had a 45 mile an hour speed limit law in place for years, here are the Boating Accidents Statistics for the Bay State in 2004
Number of boats registered: (all motorboats) 150,683
Number of accidents: 55
Number of fatalities: 9
Types of accidents;
Capsizing - 8
Collision with fixed object - 10
Collision with floating object - 2
Collision with another vessel – 19
Falls within a boat- 2
Falls overboard - 4
Fire/Explosion/Fuel - 2
Flooding/swamping - 2
Grounding - 1
Sinking - 3
Struck submerged object - 2
Drownings - 6
Other deaths - 3
Total deaths - 9
Total injuries - 35
Alcohol related fatalities: 1
Alcohol related injuries: 7
Accidents involving alcohol: 4
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Like NH, the statistics do not break down where the accidents occurred, however unlike NH, Massachusetts has an extensive coastline and an active commercial fishing fleet that are included in the statistics along with recreational boaters. Massachusetts also does NOT have a mandatory boater education law as NH does.
Now, the CG stats don't deal with "speed". They also don't break down the type of boat involved in the accident state by state (at least if they do I didn't see it) but it seems to me that 11 boat on boat collisions, 2 struck by boat and 2 struck by prop in 2004 out of a registered fleet of 101,626 vessels is a pretty good boating record!