By far the largest number of deaths is in open motor boats and the largest cause of death is drowning only one of which was wearing a life jacket. Wear a life jacket when in an open motor boat. I don't always wear a life jacket but I do if the weather is bad or if I'm sailing alone. It looks like acceptance of PFD use is a big factor in reduced number of deaths. The second thing I noticed, as you say Tom, is that Improper lookout and Operator inattention are the cause of the vast majority of sailboat accidents. So if we keep our life jackets on and eyes open we should be safe!