Michigan boating fatalities, registrations drop in 2003

[Hamilton Reef]

Michigan boating fatalities, registrations drop in 2003

DETROIT -- The number of people killed in boating accidents in 2003 in Michigan dropped by nearly a quarter to 29, the lowest figure since 1999, but the number of boats registered in the state dropped even more.
Boaters and insurance experts attributed the drop in deaths in part to increased safety education and said the fall in registrations was another sign of a slow Michigan economy and perhaps a side effect of chronically low lake-levels.

http://www.detnews.com/2004/metro/0404/17/metro-125594.htm

[Beave]

I'd be a $75 trailer plate fee scared people away too. Registering the old row boat behind the garage you only use a few times a year doesn't seem worth it for that.

[Jason Adam]

Most guys will drop more than $75 on new baits and beer for one weekend. If a one time $75 fee keeps them off the water, they must not really want to be there. I'm sure it is more directly related to the economy.