Citation

Doll TJ. Proc. Hum. Factors Ergon. Soc. Annu. Meet. 1976; 20(21): 488-497.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1976, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/154193127602002103

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Previous research on personal flotation devices (PFD's) indicates that they are highly effective and reliable, but are typically not worn, nor even accessible to victims of boating accidents. It has been estimated that 90% of the drowning victims could have been saved by the use of PFD's. A large-scale study assessed PFD wear and accessibility by direct observation at seven locations across the Continental United States. The percentage of people wearing PFD's, the number of accessible PFD's aboard, the percentage of accessible PFD's worn, and the distribution of various types of accessible PFD's were tabulated. Differences in these measures as a function of location, boating activity, age and sex of the boater, boat length and type, and type of PFD are reported. For example, the wearability of a PFD (percentage of accessible PFD's worn) depended on geographic location, air temperature and activity. The most wearable device for fishing was not the most wearable for waterskiing or other activities. The results are used to generate recommendations for educational and regulatory programs aimed at improving the life-saving capability of PFD's.

Language: en