he Strategic Plan of the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Recreational Boating Safety Program has several major initiatives including “Leverage recreational boating data.”
ACA has a long history of developing paddling safety materials and supports safety-oriented initiatives that lead to better educational resources. Accurate and relevant data about paddling accidents is essential both for public policy decisions and to determine what type of education is most appropriate in our paddling communities.
In March of 2024, the ACA distributed a survey titled, “Paddling Accident and Safety Equipment Survey – Helmets.” This survey was created to gather information regarding the frequency and type of head, face, and neck injuries among paddlers.
The information and graphics in this report illustrate the posed questions and results, which included 521 respondents.