Over the past two decades, the average number of boat accident injuries caused by recreational boats has slowly decreased. The U.S. Coast Guard reported 2,641 boating injuries in total in 2021, compared to over 4,000 in 2002. In addition, there were 658 casualties due to boating accidents in 2021. When the cause of death could be determined, 81% of deaths were caused by drowning, and of those drowning victims, 83% were not wearing a life vest. Alcohol was the leading cause of fatal boat accidents.