More fatalities usually occur on canoes and kayaks than on personal watercraft, but the highest number occur on open motorboats. However, canoes and kayaks have the highest fatality rate, double the rate of personal watercraft and almost four times higher than open motorboats.
Education can save lives.
Some two-thirds of boaters said they have never taken a boating safety class Boating fatalities have fallen to their lowest level in decades. Experience dramatically decreases likelihood of a boating fatality Boaters with less than 100 hours of operating experience have a fatality rate of 64 per million hours. Boaters with 100-500 hours of operating experience have a fatality rate of 22 per million hours. Boaters with over 500 hours of experience had a fatality rate of .0018 per million hours.