This document summarizes a 15-year study of life jacket wear rates among boaters. Key findings include: - Life jacket wear increased among all age groups from intensive educational campaigns in California's Delta region from 2006-2008 and with mandatory regulations in 4 lakes in Mississippi from 2008-2011. - The strongest increases were seen with children, anglers, and boats under 16 feet with both the education and regulation approaches. - Higher enforcement of the Mississippi regulations correlated with higher wear rates, suggesting compliance increases with stronger enforcement. - Both voluntary and mandatory strategies can effectively increase life jacket usage when combined with education, but regulations had more immediate and dramatic effects on changing boater behavior.

1. Life Jacket Wear Studies
Tiger Team Workshop
August 18, 19, 2014
Thomas W. Mangione
JSI Research & Training Institute

2. U.S. Coast Guard Mission To Improve
Recreational Boating Safety
 Reduce Drowning Fatalities by Increasing
Boater Wear of Life Jackets while boating
 Fund a National Campaign to Promote
Use of Life Jackets
 Fund a National Life Jacket Observation
Study to Monitor Changes in Life Jacket Use

3. JSI’s National Life Jacket Wear Study
 15 Summers of Data Collection
 30 States
 124 Sites (Rivers, Lakes, Harbors)
 Observe from Shore with high
powered, image stabilizing binoculars
 Record Characteristics of Site,
Boat, Boaters and Life Jacket Use
 During summer periods 1999 to 2013
216,667 boats observed
609,977 boaters observed

4. Observation
Teams in
Action

5. 80.6%
Age 0-5
89.1% 91.7% 90.1% 90.3%94.9% 93.1% 94.4% 92.2% 93.5% 93.6% 94.8% 96.6%94.7%
93.5%
69.1%
72.1%
76.6%
Age 6-12
79.2% 79.7% 81.6% 80.6% 79.1%
84.1%
87.3% 86.5%
89.1% 90.7%
84.9%
85.4%
24.1%
30.5%31.2%32.4% 32.0% 29.8%
Age 13-17
32.8%33.5% 31.5%
33.2%
38.9%
35.1%
41.4%
37.6%
34.9%
9.0% 10.1% 8.5% 9.1%
All Adults
10.1% 9.7% 9.9% 9.9% 8.5% 9.0% 8.1% 7.8% 8.5% 9.3% 9.1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Age 0-5 Age 6-12 Age 13-17 All Adults
Overall Trends for JSI’s Life Jacket Study 1999 to 2013
By Age Group
*Rates exclude personal water crafts

6. Overall Trends for JSI’s Life Jacket Study 1999 to 2010
By Boat Type (Adults)
46.2%
50.7%
Paddle Craft
51.9%
50.7%
55.4% 56.7%
47.0%
62.8%
40.1%
43.1% 41.4%
35.4%
46.5%
56.1%
46.0%
13.6%
17.1% 17.0% 18.4%
Sail Craft
16.7% 19.5%
24.8%
28.0%
24.7%
20.0%
23.2% 22.0%
24.3%
22.1%
27.6%
4.4% 5.2% 4.2% 3.9% 4.9% 3.9% 4.4%
Power Boats
(no PWCs)
3.9% 4.3% 4.8% 3.9% 4.3% 3.8% 4.1% 3.8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Paddle Craft Sail Craft Power Boats (no PWC)

7. ProportionofInflatablelifejacketsamongusers
5.9%
13.2%
18.9%
94.1%
86.8%
81.1%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
2002-2005 2006-2009 2010-2013
Traditional
Inflatable
Skiffs
28.7%
43.7% 41.6%
71.3%
56.3% 58.4%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
2002-2005 2006-2009 2010-2013
Traditional
Inflatable
Cabin Sailboats

8. Two Strategies
to Increase Wear Rates
 More Intense Promotion/Education to
Encourage Voluntary Wear
 Mandatory Regulations

9. A Test of the Education Approach
(2006 to 2008)
 The US Coast Guard and the California
Department of Boating & Waterways funded
an intense promotional campaign in the Delta
Region of California (Wear It! Campaign)
 This campaign was carried out jointly by the
California Department of Boating &
Waterways, Boat US, and the National Safe
Boating Council
JSI was chosen by the Coast Guard to evaluate this
effort.

10. Componentsof the Delta Campaign
• A multi-strategy, concentrated, educational and promotional
campaign
Mass media promotions
Radio advertising
Marina events
Celebrity appearances
Enlisting partners to raise visibility (marinas, retailers)
Campaign Tour boat (cruising the Delta waterways)
 Disseminating information
 Giving away free inflatable life jackets
 Gathering pledge cards

11. Features of the EvaluationData Collection
 Intense observations in 2006, 2007, 2008 and less intense in
2009, 2010
 Up to 9 sites observed on 9 summer weekends
 10,918 boats observed; 26,822 boaters observed
 Recruited and trained local observer teams
 Morning observations started at 6:30 am to catch anglers
 Observations from shore using image stabilizing binoculars

12. Central Delta, California—WearRates by Age
Adults 8.6% 12.1% 9.6%
Children (0-12)
80.1%
77.5%
87.5%
15.7% 14.6%
Youth (13-17) 21.5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Baseline (2006) 2007 2008
Adults Youth (0-12) Youth (13-17)
*Rates exclude personal water crafts and in the water, water skiers

13. Central Delta—Adult Wear Rates by Activity
8.6%
Adults
12.1%
9.6%
26.1%
Fishing/Intent to
Fish
36.4%
30.5%
3.2%
4.7% All other activities
3.2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Baseline (2006) 2007 2008
Adults Fishing/Intent to Fish (Adults) All other activities (Adults)
*Rates exclude personal water crafts and in the water, water skiers

14. CentralDelta—AdultWearRatesbyType ofBoat
25.8%
37.0%
30.3%
3.0% 3.7%
2.1%
0.5% 2.0%
1.9%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Baseline (2006) 2007 2008
Skiffs
Speedboats
Cabin Cruisers
*Rates exclude personal water crafts and in the water, water skiers

15. CentralDelta—AdultWearRatesbySizeofBoat
6.7%
19.1% 18.8%
10.8%
13.7%
11.2%
4.4%
7.5% 7.5%
4.8% 5.4%
2.3%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Baseline (2006) 2007 2008
< 16 ft
16 to 21
21 to 26
26 + ft
*Rates exclude personal water crafts and in the water, water skiers

16. Impactof Numberof Weeks of CampaignBoat
Tours: DirectCorrelation withWear Rates
8.5%
12.1%
9.4%
8.4%
13.6%
8.7%
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
14.0%
16.0%
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

17. Pointsto note about Delta CampaignResults
 Success was greater with Anglers in part due to synergy with
fishing tournament rules about wearing life jackets
 Success was greater for children and smaller boats
 The importance of the number of the campaign boat tours
was clearly demonstrated
 Participants on speed boats and cabin cruisers who are not
fishing or intending to fish are most difficult challenge

18.  In 2008, the Army Corps of Engineers
decides to test feasibility and
effectiveness of mandatory regulations.
 U.S. Coast Guard offers to fund the
evaluation of this test and chooses JSI
to conduct the evaluation.
 4 Lakes in Northwest Mississippi
experimental sites
Test of MandatoryRegulations(2008 -2011)

19. The Regulation
 Boats Under 16 feet: Wear at all times
 Boats 16 to 26 feet: Wear when underway
 Boats over 26 feet: Not regulated
 Swimmers: When Not in designated swim areas
 In the year leading up to regulation change
publicity, signage, and pamphlets were used

20. Mississippi
4ExperimentalLakes:Arkabutla,Enid,Sardis,Grenada
2ControlLakes: RossBarnett,BaySprings

21. Mississippi
DramaticIncreasesin AdultWearRatesatInterventionLakes
8.8%
74.0%
71.0%
Intervention
(Summer)
70.8 %
5.1% 5.5%
Control (Summer)
5.9%
6.1%
29.0%
Intervention
(Spring & Fall)
83.2%
62.3% 61.2%
20.7%
29.5%
Control
(Spring & Fall)
26.7%
9.6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2008 (Preregulation) 2009 2010 2011
Intervention Summer Control Summer
Intervention (Spring & Fall) Control (Spring & Fall)
Rates include adults only, excluding personal water crafts and in the water, water skiers

22. Mississippi
Wearratesforkidsandteensduringsummerseason
93.5%
Age 0-12
(Intervention)
96.6% 97.7% 95.1%96.5%
84.2%
87.1% Age 0-12 (Control)
86.2%
Age 13-17
(Intervention)
33.6%
88.2% 88.4% 91.7%
21.3%
37.0%
Age 13-17 (Control)
28.8% 27.4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Summer 2008
(Preregulation)
Summer 2009 Summer 2010 Summer 2011
Age 0-12 (Intervention) Age 0-12 (Control)
Age 13-17 (Intervention) Age 13-17 (Control)

23. Mississippi
Evidenceofsynergywithrulesforfishingtournaments
20.2%
84.8% 87.0%
Fishing/Intent
(Intervention)
82.5%
6.5%
70.6%
65.7% 66.9%
All Other Activities
(Intervention)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Summer 2008
(Preregulation)
Summer 2009 Summer 2010 Summer 2011
Fishing/Intent (Intervention) All Other Activities (Intervention)

24. Mississippi
AdultWearRatesfor TYPES ofPowerBoats
27.0%
83.7%
79.0%
81.9%
4.3%
71.7%
66.3% 68.4%
5.1%
68.4%
60.6% 59.2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Summer 2008
(Preregulation)
Summer 2009 Summer 2010 Summer 2011
Skiffs Speedboats Pontoon

25. Mississippi
AdultWearRatesbySIZEofPowerBoats
21.7%
72.2%
62.7% 63.3%
14.6%
79.0%
75.9% 75.6%
6.5%
72.8%
62.7% 64.1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Summer 2008
(Preregulation)
Summer 2009 Summer 2010 Summer 2011
<16 feet
16-21
21-26

26. Mississippi
Notablerelationshipbetweenlevelofenforcement&wearrates
forallactivitiesexceptfishing/intenttofish(Summer2010)
59.4%
59.6%
All Activities
Except
Fishing/intent to
fish
70.0%
85.0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Lake Rank 4 (Lowest
warnings per patrol
hr/10,000 acres)
Lake Rank 3 Lake Rank 2 Lake Rank 1 (Highest
warnings per patrol
hr/10,000 acres)

27. Mississippi
PercentageAdultsWearing InflatableStylePFDs
0.6%
4.1% 3.8% 3.9%
4.5% 4.8%
6.6%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
20%
Preregulation July 2009 August 2009 July 2010 August 2010 July 2011 August 2011
% Inflatable PFD (Of All Adults)

28. Additional Information of Note
 Visitation levels did not seem to be affected by regulations
 In the 3 years before and after in MS intervention lakes
drownings went from 7 to 3.
 Compliance was relatively stable for 3 year period
 Compliance was high with all age groups and all types of
power boats
 Compliance was high for fishing/intent to fish AND other
activities too

29. Additional Information of Note
 Validity studies by independent observers confirmed life
jacket wear rates seen by JSI
 Initial high levels of compliance may have led to
developing a norm of wearing life jackets
 Enforcement consisted of education and issuing written
warnings; not issuing tickets with $ fine
 After 3 year test period, Vicksburg district requested that
mandatory regulations stay in place

30. Summary Thoughts
 Both approaches can change behavior
 Mandatory regulations have a more dramatic and
immediate effect
 Best situation would seem to be using both approaches
at same time
 Initial compliance with regulations needs education and
promotion
 Continued compliance needs education and promotion to
help solidify norms to wear life jackets
 Boating public is basically law abiding and will respond
positively to regulations