Developing a tool to measure safe recreational boating practice

To reduce the number of recreational boating injuries and incidents, appropriate educational measures are important to improve boat operator safety practice. A tool (the boating safety scale (BSS)) to measure safe practice was developed and tested among Western Australian recreational boaters. The BSS allowed the identification of factors influencing safety behaviour among recreational boaters. Using a database of registered recreational vessels, a telephone survey was conducted in 2008 among a sample of 1002 boat owners and a response fraction of 47.5% was achieved. The majority of boaters displayed a moderate level of safe boating behaviour based on BSS scores. Not being a member of a boating association and going boating less often in protected waters was associated with a higher level of boating safety behaviour. With further development, the BSS can provide information to assist is designing effective intervention strategies to reduce the number of boating-related fatalities, injuries and incidents.

Research highlights▶ The BSS tool identifies factors that may influence safety behaviour among recreational boaters. ▶ No boating association membership was associated with higher boating safety behaviour. ▶ Boating in protected waters less often was associated with higher boating safety behaviour. ▶ The BSS assists in designing effective interventions to reduce fatalities, injuries and incidents.