Americas News
Marine Casualties Involving US-Flagged Vessels Remained High in 2024
US-flagged vessels were involved in 1,806 reportable marine casualties in 2024, the US Coast Guard said.
Towing vessels accounted for the largest share, with 1,063 casualties involving 22% of the fleet, as per the US Coast Guard’s 2024 Flag State Control Annual Report.
Cargo ships faced the highest proportion of incidents, with 43% of the fleet reporting casualties, largely due to machinery failures.
Passenger vessels saw 448 cases, representing 7% of the fleet.
The most common types of incidents varied by sector. More than half of barge casualties were collisions, allisions or groundings, while cargo, passenger, and offshore vessels were most affected by material failures and loss of propulsion or steering.
Towing vessels were particularly prone to collisions, accounting for 44% of their reported cases.
“In 2024, the U.S. Flag fleet contained 17,765 vessels subject to inspection, with Coast Guard Marine Inspectors (MI) conducting 21,187 inspections,” the US Coast Guard said.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard detained 40 US-flagged ships in 2024, up from 38 in 2023. Towing ships accounted for the highest detention.
The data underscores persistent safety challenges in critical sectors of the US-flagged fleet.
The Coast Guard also noted that ageing fleets, such as towing vessels averaging 35 years and passenger vessels averaging 29 years, continue to present higher compliance risks.
