Davidson Co. leads state in boating incidents

Friday, July 8, 2016, Vol. 40, No. 28
By Colleen Creamer

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency compiles data on boating and boating deaths on Tennessee reservoirs and lakes.

Most recent statistics are from 2014 when the total number of registered vessels was 256,862, a decrease of 859 from 2013.

The total number of reportable boating incidents in 2014 was 134, down 154 from 2013.

The bodies of water that reported the most boating incidents were Chickamauga and Norris lakes with 13 incidents each in 2014.

The county that reported the most incidents in 2014 was Davidson County with 14.

The most common type of boat involved in an incident was an open motorboat, and the leading kind of incident was boat-to-boat collision.

The leading primary cause of incidents was operator inattention. Alcohol and/or drug use was a primary cause in 4.2 percent of incidents, an increase from 2013 which was 1.9 percent.

The most likely time to be involved in a boating incident was between the hours of noon and 4 p.m.

The monetary damage resulting from boating incidents in 2014 amounted to $1,117,929, which was a decrease from the $2,408,712 reported in 2013

The incident rate for 2014 was 52.2 per 100,000 registered vessels, a decrease from 2013 which was 59.9 per 100,000 registered vehicles.

The most likely day of the week to be involved in an incident was Saturday.

The leading age group of operators to be involved in an incident was 46.