臺北縣沿海臨溪風景秀麗、水質清澈，春、夏兩季氣候怡人，適合從事各項水上遊憩活動，然而由於民眾對於水上安全的認知缺乏、水中自救與游泳技能又待加強，所以在從事水上遊憩活動時就容易發生意外淹死及溺水事件。有鑒於國內這方面的研究不多，本研究即嘗試進行最近三年(85-87)臺北縣溺水事件之特徵分析，以瞭解每年民眾因從事水上活動而發生意外淹死及溺水之差異原因，喚起民眾對於水上活動安全問題之重視，以及提供我國政府消防機關、民間水上救生團體之參考與活動推廣之依據。結果發現七、六、八迄三月發生溺斃人數為最多，而且假日發生溺斃的人數比其他非假日大為多。非法的地點比合法的發生溺斃人數為多，設有警告標誌的地點發生溺斃人數比無設有警告標誌為多，無設立救生站的地點發生溺斃人數比有設立的為多，過去未曾發生溺斃的地點比曾發生的為多，而溪流是發生溺斃最主要的水域，其次為海邊。男性發生溺斃人數比女性為多，而15-19歲年齡組發生溺斃人數為最多，曾接受過救生而發生溺斃的人數比未曾接受救生的為少，外地人發生溺斃的人數比當地人為多。戲水、游泳、釣魚是最主要的三項危險水上活動類型，而15-19歲年齡組青少年發生溺斃大部分是因為戲水、游泳。

　　　　　It has many wonderful scenes along the rivers and the oceans, clean and clear water, and comfortable weather for the spring and the summer at Taipei County, so it is very appropriate for people to engage in all kinds of aquatic activities. However, there is the lacking of knowledge for people about the waters safety,and there are not enough abilities in self-saving and swimming, so often occur the accidental drownings while people engaging in the aquatic activities. The purpose of this study is to explo re the characteristics of the accidental drownings at TaipeiCounty from 1996 to 1998 years in order to understand the true causes of the accidental drowning, to arouse people's attention toward the waters safety, and to offer to the fire department and the related life saving associations or societies. Itis found that most drownings occur July, June, and August, and drownings occurmore frequently at holiday than at nonholiday. More drownings at the illegal locations occur than at the legal locations, more drownings occur with the warningthan without the warning, less drownings occur where there are life-saver stations than where there are no life-saver stations, and less drownings occur where thedeaths ever happened in the past than where did not happen. Creeks are the most frequent places where the drownings occurred, and the next is near the ocean. Menhave higher drowning rates than female, the 15-19 year-old adolescents are themain groUp that drownings occurred, there occur less drownings who were eversaved than those who were not ever saved, and more travellers occur in drowning than residents. Playing near water, swimming, and go fishing are the major three activities in the waters that result in drowning, and most of the drowning causes for the 15-19 year-old adolescents are playing near water and swimming.