These were culled from the article "To Wear or Not To Wear, the PFD
Mandate Debate" in the Spring issue of Paddler Dealer, about the US
Coast Guard's consideration of a mandatory-wear requirement for boats
under 21'. The article is worth searching out, thoroughly covering the
question of the pros and cons of mandated PFD use.

In 2002 there were 750 boating fatalities in the US (all types of
boats). The USCG estimates that 440 people could have been saved if
they had worn PFD's.

In 2002 drowning caused 524 of those boating fatalities. Of those more
than 75% were in small boats (under 21').

85% of those drowning deaths were not wearing PFD's.

90% of the fatalities were men.

50% of the canoeing and kayaking fatalities were fishermen.

40% of the canoe fatalities involved aluminum canoes.

Kayaker's wear-rate for PFD's is 82%

Jet skiers wear PFD's 97.5% of the time. The percentage is almost
certainly because it is mandated for operation of a personal
watercraft.

My take on those statistics: Wearing a PFD can obviously save your
life (duh). Mandating wear obviously increases the use of PFD's (duh
again).

A large percentage of the small boat fatalities tied to not wearing
PFD's involve either fishermen or folks in aluminum canoes. I'd take
that as an indication that these were not paddling enthusiasts but
simply folks in boats with paddles.

And I'd take that a step further and hazard a guess that that group is
the least likely to have a comfortable, well-designed PFD. Canoe
rental places aren't exactly passing out Lotus or Extrasports and I
doubt that many folks who buy a $300 rec boat spring for a $100 PFD.

I can't claim to wear my PFD 100% of the time. On a hot summer day on
a gentle shallow stream I probably won't. Unless it becomes the law,
and then I probably will.

That said, I'm still opposed to mandates that infringe on my personal
freedom of choice.