Another possible setback to carrying life jackets?

[jesutton3]

http://www.boatus.com/magazine/2011/June/reports.asp

I'm not even going to get into how much of a pain and government trying to protect me this is.

But if this were to go through would there be any real way to have the USCG drop the life jacket requirements?

[finsider]

Sure life jackets save lives, but you know what else saves lives? EDUCATED BOATERS.

I bet that if more people knew what they were doing on the water, it would save more lives than lifejackets.

Maybe if this passes, it wont be enforced as much since it would be pretty impossible to regulate every boat under 18ft.

[Easy Rider]

from the article

"The U.S. Forest Service estimates that 82 million people participated in boating in 2010 and Coast Guard statistics show 736 people died in boating accidents that year."
(NOTE - does not mention if the 736 were wearing life jackets or not)

That is a 0.0008975% mortality rate.


Also from the article
"According to a Coast Guard mathematical model, if a 70 percent wear rate was achieved, mandating boaters nationwide to wear life jackets in boats less than 18-feet could save 71 lives each year."

Which changes it to a 0.0008109% mortality rate.



Do we really need that much protection?

[finsider]

The statistic that drives this is more likely to be the money they gain from ticketing an addition say 20 million boaters a year

[CTsupper]

Does the Coast Guard ticket many people where you are? They don't tend to do many random stops / inspections here that I'm aware of. I don't think they are making much money off any regulation from ticketing. The 736 # seems low to me based on a handful of deaths each year in my small state of Connecticut and the number of stupid people out there driving boats recklessly, drunk, etc. Either way, mandating personal safety remains an odd concept to me.

[pdxmike]

from the article

"The U.S. Forest Service estimates that 82 million people participated in boating in 2010 and Coast Guard statistics show 736 people died in boating accidents that year."
(NOTE - does not mention if the 736 were wearing life jackets or not)

That is a 0.0008975% mortality rate.


Also from the article
"According to a Coast Guard mathematical model, if a 70 percent wear rate was achieved, mandating boaters nationwide to wear life jackets in boats less than 18-feet could save 71 lives each year."

Which changes it to a 0.0008109% mortality rate.



Do we really need that much protection?

Good job with the math, Easy Rider.  It's interesting how the basic numbers were in the article, but showing the simple calcs casts the statistics in an entirely different light.  

It makes me curious how many standup paddlers actually die each year outside the surf zone, and how many die who would have lived had they been wearing a pfd?  Also, how many died who were wearing a leash?  And how many died wearing a leash who would have lived had they instead been wearing a pfd?  I bet the totals are zero to very few.

[lakesurfer]

The Coast Guard is sure writing tickets here.  You could make a drinking game out of it.  Everytime they stop a boat for a check, do a shot.  you'll be hammered in no time.

[jesutton3]

Sure life jackets save lives, but you know what else saves lives? EDUCATED BOATERS.

I bet that if more people knew what they were doing on the water, it would save more lives than lifejackets.

Maybe if this passes, it wont be enforced as much since it would be pretty impossible to regulate every boat under 18ft.

Oh trust me I know how this one goes.  I spend a lot of time on the local lakes wakeboarding, wake surfing, and paddling and I see more stupid than I can count.

Here are two very recent examples of the courts siding with stupid.

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/514357-jury-rules-against-mastercraft-in-design-lawsuit

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/pb-waverunner-big-verdict-20110610,0,5958142.story