Maritime accidents happen all the time, and they can be devastating both in terms of injury to our families, friends, loved ones, and other nearby people, and to the wellbeing of property, boats, and the local environment. Of course, nobody wants to witness a maritime accident if they can help it, which is why it pays to be educated.
That’s why today, we’re going to be focusing on four common causes of maritime accidents, so you can prepare for them, be proactive in preventing them, and understanding what dangers you could be facing.
1. Bad Weather
Of course, there’s nothing you can do about experiencing bad weather, but if it’s raining and storming, you may be able to think twice before heading out onto the water. While avoiding being around your boat is a good start, as well as avoiding times with natural disaster warnings, making sure your boat is tied up to the moor or dock properly is another essential.
This may seem like common sense, and it should, but you’d be surprised with how many people leave their boats and other maritime vehicles loose or with loose parts, just for a storm or even more severe weather conditions to come in and cause way more damage than necessary.
If you find your own boat is involved in a bad weather accident, damaged by someone else’s property, or is subject to any other kind of maritime accident, make sure you speak with a maritime accident attorney today to see what you can do from a legal standpoint.
2. Failure to Meet Safety Regulations
What safety regulations you need to stick to and follow depending on where you are and what state you’re in, but most of the points are basic common sense. This includes things like following the safety rules in the port or mooring area that you use, abiding to speed limits, and not stopping or parking in dangerous places and blind points.
Many regulations will also state that you need to be responsible for your own vessel and making sure you’re only using it when it’s being maintained to an acceptable standard, which leads us very nicely onto the next consideration.
3. Not Maintaining Your Boat
You may sometimes look at your boat or look over certain parts and think to yourself, ‘ah, this seems okay and will last a little longer,’ even if it’s looking slightly worn out or as though the part needs replacing. Guess what? If it looks like it needs replacing, then the chances are that it does need replacing, and by not doing it, you’re only increasing the chances that you’re going to be involved in an accident.
4. Not Paying Attention
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether you’re using your boat and you’re simply not paying attention to what you’re doing, you’re intoxicated, or you’re being distracted by other people on your boat, a lack of attention with such a large vehicle is just asking for a mistake where someone gets injured to happen. Keep your wits about you.
Summary
This is just a handful of the most common kinds of causes that lead to maritime accidents. While having a boat is a lot of fun and highly satisfying, you do need to make sure you’re using your brain because the last thing anyone wants is for someone else to get hurt.
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