PERCEPTIONS OF RISKS OF DRINKING AND BOATING AMONG MASSACHUSETTS BOATERS

Objectives. Public policy has treated drinking and boating as though i t were analogous to drinking and driving. Accordingly, recent Federal and state laws to prevent drinking and boating have focused solely on alcohol use by the boat operator. This study was designed to determine boaters' knowledge about the epidemiology of boating fatalities and h ow beaten perceive the risks of drinking and boating. Methods. In the summer of 1995, the authors conducted a survey by mail of a random sam ple of 600 owners of boats registered in Massachusetts. Results. Surve y results indicated that beaten believe passengers can safely drink mo re than operators. Respondents-also thought that people on boats at re st can safely drink more than people on boats underway. Conclusions. T he results of this study could be helpful in designing future boating safety campaigns by identifying gaps in knowledge about about the risk s of drinking and boating for both operators and passengers.