Journal of Accident Investigation

BRUCE G. COURY
Finally, the Safety Board concluded that the recreational
boating industry could do more to promote PFD use in all
aspects of recreational boating. Pointing to the success of the
PWC and the paddlesports industries, the Board concluded
that such marketing strategies can be effective in promoting
the desirability and increased use of PFDs and can be a model
for the rest of the recreational boating industry. The Board
recommended that MRAA and NMMA develop a marketing
strategy that promotes increased use of PFDs; increased
activity in boating safety education by recreational boating
manufacturers, retailers, and media; and integration of PFD
use into the sale of boats and accessories. The Board suggested
that the marketing strategy specifically target high-risk boating
populations, boats, and boating activities, and include sufficient
detail about the range of PFD technology, comfort, performance,
and effectiveness.
THE AUTHOR
BRUCE G. COURY, Ph. D., is a Transportation Research Analyst in the Safety Studies and Statistical Analysis Division
of the NTSB Office of Research and Engineering. Dr. Coury was the coordinator for the NTSB’s public forum Personal
Flotation Devices in Recreational Boating, and has been with the Safety Board for 3 years. Prior to joining the Safety Board,
Dr. Coury was a Senior Scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and an Associate Professor at
the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His doctoral degree is in industrial engineering and operations research from the
State University of New York at Buffalo.
74 NTSB JOURNAL OF ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION, SPRING 2006; VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1