Every few years the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and Boating Safety groups, along with the National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC), and other specialists in the field of boating safety, put together a plan. A plan which is intended to – if followed – keep the public safe during boating outings.
It is through their efforts and by learning from their past experiences and reporting that the Strategic Plan of the National Boating Safety Program for 2012-2016 came about.
The National Recreational Boating Safety Program is put in to place to aid in keeping the boating community safe, secure, and enjoying their boating experiences. By developing a program which intends to reduce the loss of life, personal injury, and property damage while following the rules.
The group came up with 11 objectives and strategies:
Objective 1: Safety Education Certificates and Successful Course Completions
           The intent here is to see the number of boaters who complete a boating safety course that meets the requirements of the USCG, continues to grow.
Objective 2: Boating Safety Outreach
           To get public boating safety messages out more effectively and get them out through education outlets and the media, in an effort to lessen the number of deaths and injuries to boaters.
Objective 3: Advanced and/or On-Water, Skills-Based Boating Education
           While following and tracking participation and effectiveness of advanced and/or on the water, skill-based boating safety education, the plan will hopefully reduce the number of fatalities on the water.
Objective 4: Life Jacket Wear
           Their thoughts are that if more adults wear their life jackets, approximately 3% more for those on motorboats and on non-motorized boats and to evaluate the numbers to prove the necessity of continuing the mandatory regulation that everyone must have a life jacket on while on a boat.
Objective 5: Operator Compliance, Navigation Rules
           Hope that by encouraging more states to make it mandatory for those who violate the USCG Navigational Rules to take a boating safety course, will not only decrease the violations by 2% but also decrease fatalities.
Objective 6: Boating Under the Influence (BUI)
           By measuring, tracking, and documenting trends in alcohol and drug use while boating will ultimately bring a 5% overall decrease in the number of deaths where those deaths were related to drinking or using drugs by boaters.
Objective 7: Manufacturer Compliance
           The USCG performs inspections called Factory Visit Program – with the hopes of lowering the number of preventable accidents relating to sinking, fire and explosion, capsizing, and swamping. The plan is to keep boats with insufficient floatation off the market.
Objective 8: Operator Compliance – USCG Required Safety Equipment
           Raise awareness and have increased number of boaters comply with specific required safety equipment on board.
Objective 9: Boating Accident Reporting
           Their goal is to have 100% of boaters accurately, completely and in a timely manner file reports for any boating accidents. These records help the USCG to determine which areas need the most attention and help.
Objective 10: Research and Development
           To analyze data relevant to boating accidents and getting the exposure needed to educate and keep boaters safe.
Objective 11: Effectiveness of Non-Profit Organization Grants
           Increase the access to and the effectiveness of the grants from non-profit organization. The USCG makes all grant products available to the public and utilizes them for the safety of the public.
Although the USCG cannot guarantee the success of the plan, as there are many factors including the public cooperation and response and the many plan partners. The goal is to reduce fatalities, injuries, and loss of property – which is a good thing for all boaters and boat insurance companies.
I have been around boats as a kid and now have one to share the experience with my family. I will not lie, I am sometimes petrified to be on the water with my kids because of the lack of consideration from some other boaters who don’t know or just don’t follow the rules. I really feel like there should be a required marine drivers license for the operator of such potentially dangerous vehicle. We have it for semi truck drivers and motorcyclists, why not boats???