In addition to the DAN Stats, I would like to see the home state, name of the OW instructor(s), and certifying agency of those divers. This information can help determine if the O/W course is adequate and if their is a breakdown in the instruction. Of course this will not help in those cases where the diver was being reckless or cavalier.
Re: Instruction
Do instructors have to get re-cert'd? If so, how often.
I have no idea what knowing the certifying agency and instructor would tell us. Since PADI is far and away the largest certifying agency, it stands to reason that the majority of divers are PADI certified, and again, the majority of accidents will occur to this group.
Without knowing the details, it is impossible to draw conclusions from certain data.
If you complete your OW in June, and in July you drown in the Great Blue Hole in Belize at 140 feet, is that the agency or instructor's doing? I am sure they were exposed to the OW limit is 60 feet "rule", but just because you give somebody the tools does not make them a mechanic.
By the same token, someone who was certified in 1967, but is now 63, overweight, and ignoring symptoms of heart disease goes on a drift dive and strokes out, is that again, agency, instructor, ?
To be honest, whether it is fitness, common sense, or lack of training, you have to admit there is a seriously low amount of people having serious or fatal accidents in SCUBA, when comapred to the number of dives being made.