Marine Safety in Victoria Report 2007-2008 (PDF, 1.3 MB, 72 pp.)

Our literature search found only one recently published research article relevant to general boating safety.
Miller & Pikora (2008) undertook a telephone survey of a sample of 500 adult registered boat owners
in Western Australia to explore their use of alcohol when boating. The response rate was 47%. The
researchers used logistic regression analysis to determine the effects of a range of demographic variables
and boating characteristics on the use of alcohol among recreational boaters on their last trip.
The use of alcohol was not found to be prevalent among WA recreational boat owners with 19% reporting
that they had consumed alcohol of their most recent boating trip. Previous research, mainly conducted in
the U.S., had reported that 30-40% of recreational boaters consume alcohol when on the water. The WA
study only included owners of registered vessels and not their passengers which may account for some of
this difference in prevalence levels.
Two variables were found to be significantly and independently associated with alcohol consumption on
the most recent trip. First, those with no boating education were 45% more likely to report consuming
alcohol on their most recent trip compared with those who had completed a boating education course
(OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.32-0.95). Previous studies had found no significant difference in the consumption of
alcohol while boating between those who had been formally trained and those who had not or that
boaters who had completed boater safety training were significantly more likely to consume alcohol when
boating than those who had not.
Second, those who did not have children aged less than 12 years on board were 63% more likely to report
consuming alcohol than those who did have children on board (OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.22-0.63) indicating that
boaters that carry children may be more safety conscious.
The authors of the WA study made a general recommendation that education, legislation and other
measures to reduce boating incidents be monitored over time to determine the effect of these strategies
on safety behaviours.
Other preventive measures recommended in earlier research reports include: extending skills and safety
training for boat operators (including on-water and boat launch/docking skills); institution of boat ramp
upgrades and regular safety inspections and associated maintenance programs by responsible authorities;
promotion of the adoption of regular vessel, fittings and equipment maintenance regimes and safety
checks by boat owners/operators; and initiatives to increase the wearing of personal protective equipment
by boat occupants (PFD, slip resistant shoes and gloves when doing tasks that carry a risk of finger/
hand injury).
Preventing injury in PWC riding
Personal watercraft-related injuries accounted for 9% of recreational boating hospital treated injuries
(80/902 cases) in 2006/7. There were 13 fewer recorded cases in 2006/7 than in 2005/6.
The age-related pattern in 2006/7 was slightly different than in previous years where injured PWC riders
were shown to be mostly young males aged 20-39 years. In 2006/7, hospital admissions among the 45-49
year age group were as frequent as among 25-29 year olds and 35-39 year olds.
The lower extremity, head/face and the trunk were the most frequently injured body sites. Fractures, open
wounds, sprains and strains and intracranial injuries were common injuries. Available data indicate that the
major causes of injury were falls from the PWC, and collisions with a fixed object (usually a part of the PWC)
or moving objects (most commonly their own or another PWC). These results are consistent with findings
from previous studies of patients treated in emergency departments and trauma centres (Latch & Fiser,
2004; Branche et al., 1997).
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