KANSAS CITY -- The week of June 2-8 is National Safe Boating Week.
When Safe Boating Week was first observed in 1958, there about five million recreational boats in the U.S. That figure has grown to more than 17 million boards.
According to the National Safe Boating Council, 900 people lost their lives in boating accidents in 1989, thousands more were injured and more than $25 million in property damage was reported.
About 50 percent of all boating facilities are alcohol-related. Officials say operating a boat is at least as complicated as driving a car.
Most people who die in boating accidents are not wearing life jackets, say officials.
The National Safe Boating Council and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boaters to observe safety rules wear a life jacket, don't drink and drive, swim with a companion, avoid strong currents and turbulent water, observe boating "rules of the road," and always think water safety.
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