Introduction to Recreational Boating Safety—Assistant Commandant’s Perspective

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by RADM Paul Zukunft, U.S. Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship

The Coast Guard has a long history of working with the recreational boating community, and the results of our collective safety efforts have been impressive. In the last 40 years the number of boating participants has grown exponentially, yet the number of boating incidents and deaths continue to decrease.

This success is attributable to the cooperative partnerships that have been forged among federal, state, and local governments; the boating industry; boating safety organizations; and recreational boaters.

Yet there is more that needs to be done. While we’ve brought the number of deaths down significantly, there are still more than 700 recreational boating fatalities each year. We can—and will—do better.

If you are an active partner in the National Recreational Boating Safety Program, I sincerely thank you for your commitment. Please continue to work with us to improve this program. If you are not an active partner, please consider coming aboard. Together we are making a difference that has a positive impact on tens of millions of Americans every year.

For more information:
Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.

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