Changing life jacket wearing behavior: an evaluation of two approaches

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Boating Safety
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Adult life jacket use during recreational boating in the US remains low, with approximately 4% compliance between 1999-2012.
• Existing educational campaigns and regulations primarily target specific demographics or activities, leaving gaps in adult recreational powerboating safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a targeted marketing campaign ('Wear It California!') and mandatory use regulations on adult life jacket adoption.
• To provide data-driven insights for policymakers aiming to improve life jacket usage rates.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design comparing adult life jacket usage before and after a marketing campaign in the California Delta.
• Assessment of adult life jacket usage before and after the implementation of mandatory use regulations at four US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) lakes in Mississippi.

Main Results:

• The 'Wear It California!' campaign resulted in a temporary increase in adult life jacket use from 8.5% to 12.1% in the first year, with a subsequent decline to 10.5% by year three.
• Mandatory regulations at USACE lakes led to a dramatic increase in adult life jacket use, from 13.7% pre-regulation to over 68% in the third year post-implementation.

Conclusions:

• Mandatory life jacket regulations are significantly more effective than targeted marketing campaigns in increasing adult life jacket use during recreational powerboating.
• Policymakers should prioritize the implementation of mandatory use policies to achieve substantial improvements in boating safety and reduce drowning incidents.