Claris Law Legal Blogging Community

Editor: Rod Sullivan
Profession: Maritime Attorney

Category: Safety at Sea

High profile boating casualties like those of Bonefish Grill owner Chris Parker's usually fuel calls for boating speed limits and more boater education. However, boating fatalities are down substantially from where they were ten years ago, even though speeds are up, and most fatalities occur to experienced boaters, not newcomers. Collision with fixed objects, particularly at night, tends to be the largest contributing factor. Lives could be saved by better enforcement of lighting requirements on floating objects like barges, dredges, and dredge pipelines. It's not sexy, but it's the fact.