National Recreational Boating Safety Surveys (NRBSS)

In 2014, the results of the U.S. Coast Guard's 2012 National Recreational Boating Surveys were released. NASBLA/ERAC spent hours seeking explanations of how the participation and exposure hours data were generated, considering the merits of using exposure hours as the denominator in risk ratios, and developing compilations of state-level data. Products associated with those explorations--by ERAC and the Coast Guard--are presented below.

In December 2020, the Coast Guard released the results of the 2018 Participation and Exposure surveys.** In the 2021-2022 committee cycle, ERAC continued its exploration of the survey findings and methodologies with an eye toward developing products that could help the states better understand and apply the data to their RBS programs. In 2023, the committee will be following up on two of those products--national webinars described below--and, on behalf of the states, directing attention to the Coast Guard's development of the next iteration of the NRBSS.

**See also, an errata sheet for the 2018 survey reports

Webinars (2022)

Research Brief (ERAC, July 2015) 

• Recreational Boating Fatality Statistics: an exploration of fatality rate calculations and comparisons (with Appendix A)
• Table A-1 Risks for other activities

2012 NRBS State-Level Data

• Tables package: NRBS boat numbers and exposure hours by state, boat type, and registration status

2012 NRBS Fact Sheet Series by USCG

• Boating (Exposure Hours) by Body of Water (December 2014)

• Boating Across State Lines (February 2015)

2012 NRBS Survey Methodology

• Breaking Down the Numbers: A Closer Look at Exposure Hours from the 2012 National Recreational Boating Survey, Small Craft Advisory, July-August 2014
• Tell Me More about the 2012 NRBS, Small Craft Advisory, July-August 2014

Resources mentioned in the Small Craft Advisory articles

• Downloads of the U.S. Coast Guard’s 2012 NRBS summary report, and the questionnaires, methodology reports, and micro-data files [NOTE: the supporting materials for the 2012 survey currently are not available on the USCG webpage; links will be reinserted when those items are restored.]

2012 Exposure Hours – data weighting methodology – simplified explanations

• Process that led to selection of boats used to collect exposure hours from 2012 NRBS
• Weighting of Trip Survey Data (summary report)

2012 Participant Survey – data weighting methodology – simplified explanation

• Weighting of Participant Survey Data (summary report)

Other 2012 NRBS resources provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

• National Recreational Boating Survey Cognitive Interviewing Report (Feb. 4, 2010)
• National Recreational Boating Survey Cycle 1 Non-Response Analysis (March 28, 2014)