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LJ 1 Mandate Life Jacket Use by All on Vessels Under 26 Feet

Key area

Life Jackets

Require all individuals participating in any activity involving a vessel less than 26 feet in length, including water sports, wear a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, except when below decks or in enclosed compartments.

Spectrum level: Influencing Policy and Legislation

Evidence level: High

Implementation levels: National State

Rationale:

Based on 2020 U.S. Coast Guard boating accident statistical data, where cause of death was known, 75% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 86% were not wearing a life jacket. Where length was known, 88% of all reporting boating fatalities were on a vessel of 26 feet or less. (671 of the total 767 deaths in 2020). Therefore, water safety experts believe that, based on existing evidence, this recommendation will have the single greatest impact of any boating safety recommendation since the passage of the Federal Boating Safety Act of 1971. Additionally, current regulator frameworks all point to 26 ft and under for other specific requirements, and current national boat accident data indicates that a comparable number of persons die on vessels 16ft and under (342 deaths) to 16 ft. to 26ft. (329 deaths). Once beyond the size of 26ft. death rates dramatically drop off.

Anticipated Impact:

After implementing this recommendation, you can expect to experience the following outcome:

  • Requiring all individuals participating in any activity involving a vessel less than 26 feet in length, including water sports, to wear a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket, will have the single greatest impact of any boating safety recommendation since the passage of the Federal Boating Safety Act of 1971.

Evidence:

There is strong evidence to support that mandatory life jacket wear increases both life jacket use and can help reduce drowning. This evidence includes:

  • The adoption of laws and subsequent enforcement have been perceived to be an important facilitator for life jacket wear.
  • Stakeholders and focus group participants emphasized that making life jacket use mandatory through legislation and enforcement would be the only way to get more people to use them, even when they did not support the idea of legislation.
  • Life jacket use increased only slightly in the first year of the high visibility marketing campaign. Life jacket use dramatically increased in year 1 of mandatory wear and high use was sustained in the following years as boaters became accustomed to life jacket wear.
  • An 18.5% increase in wear rate causes a decrease in the number of fatalities by 56.5%.
  • Before the "Wear It" campaign, adult wear was 8.5% and rising slightly to 10.5% just over three years after the campaign. Before mandatory regulations at USACE lakes, adult wear was 13.7%, increasing to 75.6% during the first year and remaining high at 68.1% in the third year.
  • A Victoria, Australia mandatory personal flotation device wearing regulation showed a significant decrease in drowning deaths among all recreational boaters. Higher life jacket use was strongly associated with laws requiring use, and with adult role modelling. - Recently, in the U.S., drowning rates have increased while there is evidence that life jacket wear remains low.

Evidence Sources:

Cox K.L., Bhaumik S., Gupta M., & Jagnoor J. (2022). Facilitators and barriers of life jacket use for drowning prevention: Qualitative evidence synthesis. Journal of Safety Research, Feb(80), 135-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2021.11.010

Quistberg D.A., Bennett E., Quan L., & Ebel B.E. (2014). Low life jacket use among adult recreational boaters: A qualitative study of risk perception and behavior factors. Accident Analysis & Prevention, Jan(62), 276-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2013.10.015

Mangione T., & Chow W. (2014). Changing life jacket wearing behavior: An evaluation of two approaches. Journal of Public Health Policy, 35(2), 204-218. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43288018

Viauroux C. &, Gungor A. (2016). An empirical analysis of life jacket effectiveness in recreational boating. Risk Analysis, 36(2), 302-19. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.12449

Bugeja L., Cassell E., Brodie L.R., & Walter S.J. (2014). Effectiveness of the 2005 compulsory personal flotation device (PFD) wearing regulations in reducing drowning deaths among recreational boaters in Victoria, Australia. Injury Prevention, 20, 387-392. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041169

Chung C., Quan L., Bennett E., Kernic M.A., & Ebel B.E. (2014). Informing policy on open water drowning prevention: An observational survey of life jacket use in Washington State. Injury Prevention, 20(4), 238-243. https://www.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2013-041005

Canadian Red Cross. (2016). The flotation report: Life jackets/personal flotation devices and boating fatalities in Canada: 20 years of research. https://www.redcross.ca/crc/documents/What-We-Do/Swimming-Water-Safety/2016FlotationReportEMay30.pdf

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (2010) Mandatory life jacket study/test. U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings. https://cdn.ymaws.com/aca.site-ym.com/resource/resmgr/spp-documents/usacepfdstudy&test.pdf

Mangione T. (ed). (2021). Summary of suggestions for increasing life jacket use. Unpublished survey notes from online survey conducted with persons indicating interest in life jackets via https://www.watersafetyusa.org/nwsap.html

Cummings P., Mueller B.A., Quan L. (2011). Association between wearing a personal floatation device and death by drowning among recreational boaters: a matched cohort analysis of United States Coast Guard data. Injury Prevention, 17, 56-159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip.2010.028688

Moreland B., Ortmann N., & Clemens T. (2022). Increased unintentional drowning deaths in 2020 by age, race/ethnicity, sex, and location, United States. Journal of Safety Research, 82, 463-468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2022.06.012

Mangione T., Steere L., Millock R., Imre M., & Chow W. (2023) 2022 life jacket wear rate observation study featuring national wear rate data from 1999 to 2022. https://www.uscgboating.org/library/national-live-jacket-wear-study/2022-Life-Jacket-Wear-Rate-Report.pdf

High Risk Populations Addressed:

All populations can benefit from implementation of this recommendation:

Evaluation Metrics:

Indicators of long-term impact:

  • Adoption of a Federal Regulation for mandatory wear of a USCG approved life jackets on all people on or in a vessel under 26ft. in length
  • A reduction in the annual boating related drowning deaths by roughly 75% nationwide.
  • Adoption of a state-specific regulation for mandatory wear of a USCG approved life jacket on all people on or in a vessel under 26ft. in length
  • A reduction in the average annual boating-related drowning deaths in participating states

Indicators of intermediate impact:

  • BSAC resolution toward the U.S. Coast Guard
  • Increase in the number of states that have passed the mandatory wear requirements

Indicators of initial impact:

  • Congress and the White House receive statistical information on boating deaths due to drowning and the correlation with life jacket wear

Implementation:

Consider the following to ensure successful implementation:

  • Review federal and state requirements for wearing life jackets as well as an authorizing body (USCG and state boating agencies).
  • Communicate behavior change, followed by legislation and enforcement, as effective ways to increase and sustain life jacket wear (World Health Organization).
  • Review quantitive and qualitative data on mandatory wear.
  • Partner with life jacket manufacturers and organizations like the National Safe Boating Council and reinforce that mandatory wear is just a part of the solution along with communications, education, access, and technology.
  • Reinforce that mandatory wear is one of the only efforts found primarily successful in increasing life jacket use.
  • Reiterate that stakeholder involvement is critical for the passing of mandatory life jacket wear laws.

Challenges to Implementation:

When implementing this recommendation, you might encounter challenges related to the following factors:

  • There are a number of opinions in favor of and in contradiction to this particular recommendation, so there may be contention among stakeholders.
  • Previous consideration of similar recommendations have had challenges on the size of the vessel and certain age exemptions.

Potential Facilitators:

The following factors might facilitate the implementation of this recommendation:

  • Consider partnering with groups like USCG / BSAC, State Authority
  • There is not a cost implication to the boater as people are already required to have a life jacket that fits in the vessel.
  • Utilize examples of support and policies from both more liberal and more conservative states.
  • While working towards national and state adoption, pursue policy change at the organizational level such as with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Parks, State Parks, County and City Parks, boat rentals, fishing tournaments.
  • Partner with the insurance industry. This has been successful with other injury areas such as seat belts and child passenger safety.
  • Like with the implementation of seat belt laws, the implementation of a mandatory life jacket wear requirement should have a positive impact on the insurance, medical and other corollary industries.

GAP Recommendation:

None