A new boating safety zone in Palm Beach County aims to curb the rising boating injury rate. The new boating safety zone is located on the Intracoastal Waterway in Northern Palm Beach County. The new zones will be rolled out in two phases. Phase 1 is already underway, and the second phase will begin in August.

The first phase of the new boating safety zone begins 300 feet north of the Donald Ross Road Bridge and extends south of the Parker Bridge, ending where the Intracoastal Waterway meets the Lake Worth lagoon. The second phase of the zone aims to cover the remainder of the Intracoastal Waterway located in Palm Beach County.

The new boating safety zone requires that all boats abide by a slower speed with no wake. This calls for boats to be completely settled in the water while moving. An integral part of the of the safety zone launch is the placement of new signage explaining the new laws and the areas affected by them. Many no-wake zones are installed to prevent damage to the surrounding docks or boats, but Palm Beach County's new zone is being implemented to prevent injury.

The Palm Beach Post interviewed a local official, Captain David Schaeffer, and he had this to say regarding the new boating safety zone, "When we analyzed boating accident data for this area, it became clear that slowing down boats through this stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway will better protect the public," Captain David Schaeffer said. "It is imperative that boat operators understand what slow speed, minimum wake means and comply with the restriction."

The state of Florida has seen a rise in boating related injuries since 2007 and boating related fatalities since 2008, according to a report issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The FWC report shows 426 boating injuries occurring in 2009, up from 386 injuries in 2008. The FWC lists 2009's ten most common type of boating injuries in descending order: Broken bones, Lacerations, Head injuries, Contusions, Head injuries, Internal Injuries, Back injuries, Sprains, Burns, and Spinal injuries.

While this may not seem like a huge increase, the fact that the FWC reported thousands fewer registered vessels in 2009, makes the percentage of injuries per boat even greater. 2009's injury number correlates to an injury rate of 43, compared to 2008's injury rate of 38, and 2007's injury rate of 37. The FWC defines the injury rate as the "number of injuries per 100,000 recreational registered vessels."

According to a Palm Beach personal injury attorney, while this rise in boating injuries is not a direct reflection of Palm Beach County, many of his boating cases stem from accidents along this particular stretch of waterway. There is also some local speculation that this new boating safety zone is being installed because of a boating accident involving a local Sheriff.