DETROIT – Michigan has cracked the top 10 most dangerous states for recreational boating, according to a new study.
The study was done by Florida personal injury lawyers Anidjar & Levine, who went over data from the United States Coast Guard to figure out which state has the highest proportion of deadly boating incidents. The study looks at the number of boating accidents in each state last year and the number of fatal accidents to calculate the percentage of accidents that resulted in death.
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According to the study, Alaska is the most dangerous state for recreational boating with 69% of the state’s accidents being deadly. 18 of Alaska’s 26 accidents reported in 2023 resulted in a fatality.
Michigan, which has the highest percentage of water area within its boundaries out of any state, was ranked seventh with a 24% fatal accident rate. Last year, 20 of Michigan’s 82 accidents resulted in a death.
New Mexico, which has the lowest percentage of water within its boundaries out of any state (0.02%!), was ranked the second most dangerous with a 47% fatality rate. Of New Mexico’s 17 accidents in 2023, eight were fatal.
The safest state for recreational boating was Rhode Island, which has a 3% fatality rate. Only one of its 31 accidents last year resulted in a death. Wyoming had the fewest amount of boating accidents total, with seven. It was ranked 17th most dangerous.
Read: Taking your boat out this weekend? Here’s what you need to know about Michigan’s boating laws
The number one cause of boating crashes is alcohol. It is illegal to operate a boat in Michigan while under the influence of alcohol. All vessels are required to be equipped with life jackets for each person on board.
Related: Suspected drunk boater crashes into sheriff patrol boat, seawall in Macomb County