Critical Judgment II: Understanding and Preventing Canoe and Kayak Fatalities 1996-2002

Released and presented at the Paddlesports Education Leadership Forum of the International Boating and Water Safety Summit (April 19-21, 2004, Panama City Florida), the ACA's Critical Judgment II: Understanding and Preventing Canoe and Kayak Fatalities provided seven years of canoe and kayak safety statistics.

Although more statistics are needed, there are identifiable trends emerging. Based on the statistics available at the time of publication, Critical Judgment II concluded that most of the increase in fatalities was in the recreational kayaking market -- a market segment not as likely to seek out paddling safety instruction. Many accidents, the report concluded, involved casual paddlers using a canoe while fishing.

The statistics in Critical Judgment II help the ACA target its safety messages to casual paddlers in venues specific to those groups.

Follow this link to read the full report (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).