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Personal Watercraft:  Fact Sheet

Introduction
Since 1990, personal watercraft (PWC) use in the United States has increased by an estimated 400%. In 1996, there were approximately 900,000 PWCs in use.1

PWCs are approximately 8 feet long and are powered by self-contained engines with an enclosed propeller that uses pressured water for thrust.2 Current models can reach top speeds of 70 miles per hour.3 Most models are designed to accommodate 2 to 3 passengers.4 A PWC cannot be steered when the engine is off, even though momentum may still carry the PWC forward.5

Regulations for PWC operation vary from state to state. Each state has a designated State Boating Law Administration that is responsible for legislation.4

Injury Experience and Severity
Nationally, since 1990 there has been a four-fold increase in injuries associated with PWC. In 1995, an estimated 12,290 persons were treated in hospital emergency departments.6

In 1997, 22% of the PWC-related injuries in the United States occurred to youth under the age of 18. Of those injured children, 46% were PWC operators and 27% were passengers.7

PWC-related nonfatal injuries to operators of all ages included lacerations and contusions. The most frequent injuries occur to the leg (34.4%), head (29.1%), and the lower trunk (12.5%).6

Blunt trauma is the leading cause of fatalities among PWC operators and passengers.4

Risk Factors
Inexperience, excessive speed, and careless maneuvers by the operators are predominant causes of injuries to PWC operators.2,8,9

Nearly 24% of injury events in 1997 involved operators of rented PWC. Approximately one-half of these operators had less than one hour of experience in PWC operation.4

Collisions with docks, larger boats, and other PWC accounted for greater than 65% of all reported injuries.2,5,10 Collisions often occur when operators attempt to jump the wake generated by another vessel.2

PWC offer no protection from impact to the operator or passenger.11

Injury Prevention Strategies:

Educate the public on:
  • Learning safe PWC operation
  • Wearing personal flotation devices (PFD) and protective wetsuits
  • Traveling at safe speeds appropriate for conditions and only during daylight hours
    •
  • Refraining from jumping the wakes generated by other vessels
  • Avoiding designated swimming areas
    •
Meet with PWC manufacturers to encourage:
  • Designs of PWC that promote safety
  • Training of PWC operators on safe operation
  • Depicting safe and age-appropriate advertising
  • Promotion of PWC operation by persons 16 years of age or older
    •
Meet with staff of state agencies responsible for safe boating enforcement to:
  • Evaluate existing policy aimed at reducing the risk of PWC-related injuries to children and adults
  • Promote equipment manufacturing safety standards that encourage safe youth involvement in the sport
    •
  • Strengthen PWC regulations to protect youth from injury
  • Ensure stronger enforcement of laws and stiffer penalties for operators of PWC who put others at risk for injury
    •

Work with the media to promote safe and age-appropriate PWC activities.

Promote the collection of statewide injury data that characterizes the etiology of the injury event.

Encourage research to determine effective injury intervention strategies.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that operating personal watercraft is inappropriate for children under 16 years.12

Selected Resources

Boat Owners Association of the United States/Foundation for Boating Safety
880 S. Pickett St.
Alexandria, VA 22304
Phone: 800-336-2628 or 703-823-9550
Fax: 703-461-2855
Website: http://www.boatus.com

The Boat Owners Association provides information on boating safety courses with state-specific information.

Minnesota Center of 4-H Youth Development
University of Minnesota Gateway
200 Oak St. SE, Suite 270B
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 800-444-4238
Fax: 612-624-6905
Email:     4hcenter@extension.umn.edu
Website: http://www.fourh.umn.edu/

The Minnesota Center for 4-H Youth Development developed a PWC curriculum entitled WAVE that teaches safe riding responsibility to adolescents. The program looks at public policy implications of PWC use.

Personal Watercraft Industry Association
1819 L Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-721-1621
Website: http://www.pwia.org

The Personal Watercraft Industry Association has information for boating safety promoters, educators, and others who are active in legislative and educational activities.

U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety
Commandant, GOPB U.S. Coast Guard,
2100 Second Street, SW, Room 3100
Washington, DC 20593-0001
Phone: 800-689-0816 or 202-267-1060
Fax: 202-267-4285
Email:        infoline@navcen.uscg.mil
Website:    http://www.uscgboating.org

The U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety maintains statistics on PWC-related injuries and a listing of boating-related water safety publications.

For additional information on personal watercraft injury prevention programs in your area, contact your:

References
  1. United States Coast Guard. PWC accident statistics: 1987 – 1996. (On-line) 1998. Available from URL. http://www.uscgboating.org/
  2. Hamman BL, Miller FB, Fallat ME, Richardson JD. Injuries resulting from motorized personal watercraft. J Pediatr Surg 1993; 28:920–922
  3. Jones CS. Children and personal watercraft: injury characteristics and potential countermeasures. Injury Prevention 1998; 4(1):61–62.
  4. National Transportation Safety Board. Personal watercraft safety. Safety Study NTSB/SS – 98/01. Washington (DC) 1998.
  5. Tyler BC, Garrison HG. Injuries associated with personal watercraft. NCMJ 1997; 58:284–287.
  6. Branche CM, Conn JM, Annest JL. Personal watercraft–related injuries -- a growing public health concern. JAMA 1997; 278:663–665.
  7. United States Coast Guard. Personal watercraft injuries 1997. In press 1998.
  8. Shatz DV, Kirton OC, McKenney MG, Ginzburg E, Byers PM, Augenstein JS, Sleeman D, Aguila Z. Personal watercraft crash injuries: an emerging problem. J Trauma 1998; 44:198–201.
  9. Jones CS. Personal watercraft-related injuries in Arkansas: 1994 – 1996. Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society 1997; 94:111–112.
  10. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 1997 Boating program report. Bureau of Law Enforcement PUB-LE-314-98. Madison (WI) 1998.
  11. Barach P, Baum E. Personal watercraft–related injuries. JAMA 1998; 279:433–434.
  12. American Academy of Pediatric. Personal Watercraft Use by Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics 2000; 105(2):452–453.

(updated 7/24/02)

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