We announce the availability of a report produced for the Coast Guard, entitled “Estimating Benefits of Reducing Recreational Boating Injuries: Alternative Sources of Information on Fatalities, Injuries, and Property Damages,” and dated September 12, 2011. The report examines data on the consequences of recreational boating accidents to help the Coast Guard determine how our analyses of accident data can be enhanced to improve how we can quantify the benefits of Coast Guard regulations, policies, and programs.
The report reviews available recreational boating accident data (fatalities, nonfatal injuries and property damage) reported in Coast Guard’s Boating Accident Report Database (BARD) and compares this information to national databases. The report suggests that available BARD data on fatalities and the value of reductions in fatality risks are reasonably accurate and appropriate for use in benefit-cost analysis. For nonfatal injuries, the available BARD data is more uncertain. The report notes that nonfatal injuries in BARD are underreported, with the degree of underreporting increasing as the severity of the injury decreases. In addition, the report finds that the approaches used for valuation do not directly address boating-related injuries and rely on rough proxies for willingness to pay for risk reductions. Regarding property damages, the report concludes that more research is needed to determine the accuracy of the available estimates.
The Coast Guard seeks comments on the content of the report generally, as well as any additional data or analysis that could further support the report’s conclusions, could provide data to the contrary, or that may fill in any gaps identified by the report. Additionally, the Coast Guard seeks comments on, as well as any additional data or analysis, helping to identify property damages related to recreational boating activities.
This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552 (a).
Dated: May 30, 2013.
J.G. Lantz,
Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2013-15500 Filed 6-27-13; 8:45 am]