Boater training, drinking and boating, and other unsafe boating practices

Objectives: Identify associations between lack of formal boater training, d rinking and boating, and other unsafe boating practices. Methods: A telepho ne survey queried respondents (age 16 or older in continental United States ) about boating experience, type of boat used, and training. Results: Of th e 3,042 boaters surveyed (70% response), most had no formal training (73%). Boaters with formal training failed to use PFDs about as often as those wi thout formal training and were equally or more likely to use alcohol while boating. Conclusions: The unexpected association between formal training an d unsafe boating practices is probably due to reduced risk perception and i nadequacies of boater training programs. Such programs seldom mention the r isks of alcohol use while boating. Decisions to mandate formal training sho uld be informed by these results; if mandated, training should address the risks of alcohol use while boating, and should be renewed frequently enough to offset reductions in risk perception.