Duck Machines With a History of Fatalities Are Being Sold in Seattle

Duck boats hazards

UNITED STATES – July 6, 2020 – According to an online news article posted on Karenkoehler.com, Ride the Ducks Seattle is auctioning off its Duck Boats. The company, which recently went bankrupt after being sued, is apparently now allowing someone else to purchase the dangerous vehicles.

Duck Boats were constructed through the dodging of safety regulations. The vehicles are plagued with problems stemming from the fact that they are not well-constructed, and present hazards both on the road and in the water.

In one incident, a wheel fell from a Duck Boat as it was traveling on the Aurora Bridge. Of course, a crash involving one of these large vehicles does not only put the people in the Duck in harm’s way but rather, it places everyone at risk. When used on the water, Duck Boats are often too low, and if they take on water, they will sink rapidly. The occupants may even become entrapped in the canopy, increasing the risk of drownings.

Concern over the lack of safety on Duck Boats is nothing new. For decades many have bemoaned the risks associated with the vehicles, which are designed to travel on the road and in the water but are not well-suited for either.

A horrific accident in Branson, Missouri, left seventeen people dead, leading to these contraptions receiving national attention. But even that disaster was not the first of its kind. A similar incident took place in Arkansas in 1999. That accident left thirteen people dead.

An investigation into the Arkansas sinking determined that the incident was exacerbated by the canopy. Seven of the victims in the 1999 tragedy were found still trapped beneath the canopy after the boat went down.

Sadly, while the boats are dangerous, they are poorly regulated as they fail to fall clearly into one category of vehicle.