Report Shows ABYC Certified Boats are Safer

The American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), a nonprofit association that sets voluntary global safety standards for the design, construction, maintenance and repair of recreational boats, in collaboration with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), released a significant analysis by independent research firms Industrial Economics, Inc. (IEc) and ITA International. This analysis focuses on the effectiveness of ABYC standards in enhancing recreational boating safety and was presented during the USCG/ABYC Risk Mitigation webinar “Don’t Be a Statistic. Data Saves Lives” on May 1.

During the webinar, Megan Sheahan, a senior associate at Industrial Economics, reported that boats certified to ABYC standards are 43% to 47% less likely to be involved in certain types of accidents. Additionally, adherence to these standards reduces the likelihood of fatalities by 26% to 58% in accidents that do occur, demonstrating that ABYC standards not only decrease accident occurrences but also lessen their severity.

The analysis was supported by two critical data sources: the Boating Accident Report Database (BARD), a verified historical record of recreational boating accidents maintained by the USCG, and a list of boats built to ABYC’s voluntary standards. These boats are identified through the NMMA certification program, which ensures compliance with ABYC standards through inspections.

For the full IEc memorandum, visit www.abycinc.org/IECanalysis .

The recording of the free USCG/ABYC Risk Mitigation Webinar: “Don’t be a Statistic. Data Saves Lives” is available here www.abycinc.org/riskmitigation6 .