Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting : Teleconference Topics

1. TELECONFERENCERecreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice of Advisory Committee recommendations; request for public commentsUSCG-2011-0674Published: Sept. 6, 2011Deadline for comments: Dec. 5, 2011www.regulations.gov

2. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Teleconference Topics • Nature of the Notice – how it differs from an NPRM • Parameters for making comments • Overview of questions and their purpose • Other areas that are open for comments • National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC) recommendations • Background / Overview • Recommendations targeted by specific questions • Recap and Q&A

3. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Teleconference Ground Rules • Please hold questions until Q&A at end • Will try to address all “Urgent” questions on the call • Submit “Non-Urgent” questions electronically to deb@nasbla.org; will be addressed/posted as Q&A on resource page at www.nasbla.org/notice • During call Q&A: • Speak up! Give your name. • Send note to deb@nasbla.org with your question. • Use “raise hand” or chat function in ReadyTalk webinar.

4. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments • Nature of the Notice – how it differs from an NPRM • USCG-2011-0674 is NOT a notice of proposed rulemaking or request for comment on proposed regulatory language • It IS a notice of NBSAC recommendations and request for comment on them, and other aspects of accident reporting • Detail received will determine direction and depth of changes to reporting system and drafting language

5. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments • Parameters for making comments • 29 questions – from big picture to specific detail – targeting perspectives and information on: • Support for/acceptance of two-tiered accident reporting system • Assessment of its potential for improvements to accident reports • Relative impacts/burdens on public and State reporting authorities • Electronic infrastructure/capacity in States • Additional report data collected by States

6. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments • Parameters for making comments • 29 questions – from big picture to specific detail – targeting perspectives and information on: • Current sources of accident reports • Time associated with resolution of report deficiencies • Public’s familiarity with and ability to complete accident reports • Timeframes for completing and submitting accident reports • Reporting clarifications addressed in NBSAC recommendations

7. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments • Parameters for making comments • The 29 questions do not address all of the 15 NBSAC recommendations • That does not preclude commenting on the other NBSAC recommendations not targeted in the questions • That also does not preclude commenting on other aspects of accident reporting

8. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments • NBSAC Accident Reporting Task Force recommendations encompassed: • Revisions to accident reporting requirements • Use of a two-tiered reporting system for boating accidents • Taking steps to clarify what, how, and when accident information is reported

9. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments Overview of NBSAC recommendations targeted in Notice questions Develop a two-tiered boating accident notification/ reporting system

10. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments Overview of NBSAC recommendations targeted in Notice questions Clarify which boating-related injuries qualify for reporting by adopting OSHA standards for “medical treatment beyond first aid” as the standard for recreational boating injury reporting. Consider revising reportable boating accident criteria to exclude incidents where the vessel was being used as a swimming platform or a person voluntarily leaves the vessel as the first event, regardless of whether the vessel was underway or not.

11. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments Overview of NBSAC recommendations targeted in Notice questions Establish and enforce the responsibility and accountability of first responders for notifying of an accident or casualty and of state reporting authorities for investigating and submitting boating accident report data.

12. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments Overview of NBSAC recommendations targeted in Notice questions Amend the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to specify the essential elements of information required to be included in the initial notification of a boating accident. Amend the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to abstain from including specific data elements and require that essential elements of boating accident report information be specified in a US Coast Guard policy document

13. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments Overview of other NBSAC recommendations Clarify through policy and regulation, which watercraft qualify for boating accident reporting Include exclusive state waters in accident reporting requirements Create a Decision Matrix that will simplify the boating accident and casualty reporting decision-making process Revise the former guidance document CG-449, and make it available in a condensed version through electronic media. Examine the feasibility of harmonizing commercial and recreational boating accident cause data.

14. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments Overview of other NBSAC recommendations Continue to research methods for statistical adjustment of accident totals to help extrapolate unreported accidents. Draft text for inclusion in Boating Statistics discussing possible errors and limits to interpretation of data extracted from BARD. Examine the suitability of additional models of accident causation (human factors) for use in describing fatal recreational boating accidents Emphasize need for USCG to assist states in conducting outreach / education on boating accident notification / revisions

15. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments RECAP and Q&A

16. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments Other questions, after the call Contact Jeff Ludwig 202-372-1061 or Jeffrey.A.Ludwig@uscg.mil E-mail to deb@nasbla.org

17. Recreational Vessel Accident Reporting: Notice and request for public comments Go to: www.nasbla.org/notice for • Resource materials • Recording of this teleconference • Answers to questions posed after this call; and • Examples of State submissions