For Florida sailors, recent summers have meant more crowds and more crashes.
Analysis of data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found that it peaked every year between May and July, with a surge in traffic and accidents in the state following the coronavirus pandemic.
In an April crash involving renowned St. Petersburg businessman Jeff Knight, he lit the spotlight on the safety of a boat across Tampa Bay when the ship he was operating collided with Clearwater Ferry and injured several others.
As Florida’s boat population grows, the likelihood of safety issues increases, experts say. The state has over one million registered ships. Approximately 7% more than 2019, and about 10% of all US boats
“I grew up here, almost in the waterways of my life. It exploded,” said Officer Scott Pierce, who has served with the St. Petersburg police for 18 years. “Ownership of the boat has passed through the roof.”
Experts warn that untrained beginners and holiday drinking exacerbate the risks.
In 2019, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recorded 727 boat incidents, including collisions, discharges and overthrows.
A year later, amid the coronavirus pandemic, that number reached 839, reaching a 15% jump.
“The Coast Guard’s District 7 recreational boat specialist, including Florida,” said Scott Szczepaniak, recreational boat specialist for the Coast Guard’s District 7th, which includes Florida.
Nick Collade, in the Wildlife Commission’s Boat and Waterways section, said that in 2020, approximately 20,000 Bottal ID cards had been issued more than the previous year.
This card is a requirement for sailors born since January 1988 and operates vessels with a capacity of 10 horsepower or more. They prove that the operator has completed the safety training course.
As new sailors became more experienced, Kolede said several cases fell.
However, the rate of accidents in the summer remains rising. During the peak season from May to July, there were 10% more incidents in 2024 than before the pandemic. Last year, there were a total of 690 crashes, resulting in nearly 80 deaths.
One man crashed into a barge near the Howard Frankland Bridge early in July.
The 15-year-old died on an acre on the coast when another teenage driver slammed into the dock and threw both overboard.
A fishing trip man was kicked out near Dunedin and died when he caught his arm with a boat propeller.
Accidents are most common in Miami and near Florida Keys. Miami-Dade and Monroe counties each recorded more than 70 incidents in 2024, compared to 42 people in Pinellas. We’ve also seen quite a few lakes in Central Florida that allow powerboats.
Insurance companies have increased insurance scrutiny in Florida, said Mark Friedlander, a spokesman for the Insurance Intelligence Agency, due to both hurricane-related losses and increased accidents.
Most crashes come from operator errors like speeding, and Armin Cate, a Miami-based Coast Guard veteran, works as a private contractor investigating the insurance company’s crash.
“People operate boats at a speed where even experienced offshore racers have problems,” he said.
Restricted area violations, including speeding, were also spiked during the pandemic. In 2021, Pinellas County had one of the best jumps in any county, increasing by more than 60% in a year. These violations include the destruction of boats and other local rules in the ship’s emissions zone.
Alcohol often plays a role.
In Pinellas County, court data shows that it more than tripled in 2022 and has continued to grow the following year.
“You’re going to have more people in the water, which means there are more people doing things they shouldn’t do,” said St. Petersburg police and Pierce. Police are also rising, he said.
Both boats under influence and accidents occur more frequently on holidays and around major events, Times analysis found. In Hillsboro County, the first since 2019, an average of eight BUI cases have been filed on the day of the Gasparilla Pirates’ invasion, court data shows. For other Saturdays, the average is below 1.
This pattern is especially around Independence Day. In 2024, the state averaged around nine cases each week, but in the week of July 4th, he was 51 years old. Seven were in Pinellas County.
This year, rainy weekends are likely to limit accidents on July 4th. The Wildlife Commission reported nine crashes and 12 other incidents in the southwest region of Florida over the holiday weekend.
Some training programs offer practical training in water, but to operate the car, there is no need for skill tests for boat safety. Some of the Wildlife Committee approved courses can be completed online.
Some safety enthusiasts feel this is lacking.
“Do you want to give your kids the keys to their cars after watching the video?” said Vickie Waller, founder and CEO of Saferboater, a boat education program focused on water training.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, nearly 70% of fatal accidents nationwide include vessels where operators do not have formal safety training.
Insurance investigators Waller and Kate have created a program called Trustworthy Boater that focuses information on information from school training schools for insurance companies and state agencies. They said they are consulting with state agencies and insurance companies to see how it can be implemented.
“There’s a lot of ‘current status’ mentality in this industry,” Waller said. “But the situation is not working, so things have to change.”
Collado said, together with the Wildlife Commission, the agency is part of a pilot program with the National Association of National Boat Law Administrators, a national nonprofit, to roll out optional safety courses, including water practices. Individuals who complete it will receive a special Boater Safety Education ID card that recognizes enhanced training.
Earlier this month, two major boater safety laws came into effect in Florida.
Under the Boater Freedom Act, the Wildlife Commission and other law enforcement agencies are no longer permitted to suspend or board a vessel without any possible reason, including random safety tests.
Wildlife Commission officials say they don’t expect any major impact from the law. However, some critics are concerned about limiting the committee’s ability to implement fishing rules and safety regulations.
Alan S. Richard, former committee captain and aide professor of maritime law at Florida State University, called the law “hatred.”
“They tried to retreat the safety enforcement of the boats and were probably successful,” Richard said.
Correde said officers will continue to observe and address the violations.
Safety advocates praised another new measure called “Lucy’s Law,” after a teenage passenger who died in the 2022 crash. For example, leaving the scene of a boat crash crash with death became a first-degree felony in prison for up to 30 years. Bui’s manslaughter conviction carries a minimum of four years.
Times staff writer Jack Plater contributed to this report.
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