32 Proceedings | Vol. 83, No. 1 number of deaths where the operator is tested for alcohol. The Coast Guard doesn’t know how many drowning deaths occurred when a potential rescuer was nearby. This information is potentially important in determining the capabilities for a life jacket.1 Can a less capable device reduce the overall risk of drowning if it is more likely to be worn by a boating public?1 To validate life jacket wear data in BARD, the Coast Guard has awarded a grant to determine wear rate at 31 locations in 30 states. Through that grant, observ- ers—contractors and Coast Guard Auxiliarists—have captured observed wear rates by vessel type and vessel size, boater sex, boater age, season, and other factors. In short, wear rates for adults on motorboats, except per- sonal watercraft, are low. Mandatory life jacket wear can reduce boating deaths, and on Army Corps of Engineers-controlled waters, the district commander can mandate life jacket wear. This isn’t the case on lakes not under the Corps of Engineers control. The results of a limited study was a significant reduction in the number of deaths. A more reasonable answer is less cumbersome life jackets, which is one of the aims behind the life jacket approval harmonization rulemaking published in December 2024. Level 50 life jackets are less cumbersome and meet the Coast Guard’s carriage requirements, but only if worn. With the data captured by the states, we can start looking at the narratives to determine if this reduces fatalities. BARD Reengineering, ERAC, and Suggested Improvements BARD is aging, and the effort to replace the system is underway as part of the Coast Guard Case Management System, which will ultimately replace not only BARD, but also the main information systems for Coast Guard operations. Over the course of the next year, the Coast Guard, states, NASBLA, and the National Boating Safety Advisory Committee will provide input into the effort, which should ensure a significantly improved reporting system. Coupled with the modernization of BARD, NASBLA’s Engineering, Reporting, and Analysis Committee, or ERAC, has made 128 recommendations for updates to the Casualty Reporting System. Conclusion The Casualty Reporting System has delivered tremendous insight into the nature of boating incidents—allowing for interventions that have saved nearly 100,000 lives—and continues reducing the number of boating-related deaths, currently at an all-time low. The future is positive and the National RBS Program continues to accomplish its goals long established by the Federal Boat Safety Act more than 50 years ago. About the authors: Verne Gifford has been the Chief of the Boating Safety Division since 2017, and a member of the Coast Guard since 1983. For eight years, he has par- ticipated in the development of the annual Recreational Boating Statistics Report, conducted by a dedicated team of a dozen Coast Guard members and hundreds of state officials. Their efforts result in one of the most thor- ough sources of casualty information produced by the Coast Guard. Jonathan Hsieh is the senior data analyst for the Boating Safety Division of the Coast Guard’s Office of Auxiliary & Boating Safety. He holds a master’s in government analytics from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s in public administration from Virginia Tech. He is a commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and a Merchant Mariner by training. Endnotes: 1. The RBS Community has adopted the term “incident” to mean a boating death, injury, damage-only accident, or any multiple combination thereof. “Incident” and “accident” are used synonymously by the RBS Community 2. 46 U.S.C. §13103(c)(5) 3. 33 CFR. §173 Subpart C 4. Form CG-3865 (August 2024), which is a six-page form 5. Per the 2024 Recreational Boating Statistics Report, Page 71, 94% of motorboats are 21 feet of less, but the data shows where to target messaging to have the greatest impact 6. 2024 Recreational Boating Statistics Report, Page 29; this fact was emphasized by Dr. Leslie “Dan” Maxim, a former Chairman of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council, and a highly regarded member of the RBS Community 7. 2024 Recreational Boating Statistics Report, Page 32 8. Operator inattention is defined in the Recreational Boating Statistics Report as failure to pay attention to the vessel, its occupants, or the environment 9. Improper lookout is defined in the Recreational Boating Statistics Report as the failure of the operator to perceive danger because no one was serving as lookout 10. Operator inexperience is defined in the Recreational Boating Statistics Report as the lack of practical experience operating the vessel 11. The study is available by emailing [email protected] 12. Life jacket as used here is synonymous with personal flotation device as defined in 33 CFR § 175.13 13. Personal Flotation Devices are only required, per 33 CFR § 175.15 to be carried on recreational vessels, but the states may require wear by children and those operating personal watercraft, paddle craft, and a sailboard Those interested in casualty investigation training or receiving the Boating Accident Descriptions Report should contact the Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division at [email protected] The annual Recreational Boating Statistics Report is available at https://bit.ly/4pGZxS4 The results of observed life jacket wear rates are available on the RBS Program’s website at https://bit.ly/4q1JhLX For more information
