ABSTRACT
The injury and death toll from boating accidents of all kinds coupled with increased leisure time and more people recreating on waterways than ever before formed a volatile mixture. Into the mix comes law enforcement. It should be no surprise that effective enforcement of boating laws is difficult, if not impossible. The primary function of law enforcement regarding recreational boating is in responding to boating accidents. The investigation of a boating accident requires recording a variety of characteristics of the boat, debris, and position of passengers and bodies relative to the boat. Measuring distances involves miles, feet, and inches, not nautical measures. Speeds are recorded in miles per hour, although the nautical measurement is the nautical mile or knot. Boat collisions differ markedly from auto collisions. The automobile accident reconstructionist generally deals with automobiles that remain on the ground and leave visible traces of their passage.
