Boating Safety Strategy

New Zealand’s national pleasure boat safety strategy has led to a 50% reduction in recreational boating fatalities over the last 6 years, in spite of increasing boat numbers. The strategy has used a combination of education and targeted legislation to tackle the key risk factors in recreational boating fatalities.

The four key risk factors are:

• failure to wear a lifejacket in boats under 6 metres in length
• inability to communicate distress after an immersion accident
• the effects of bad weather and sea conditions
• overuse of alcohol.

This publication Boating Safety Strategy: 2007 Review of the New Zealand Pleasure Boat Safety Strategy, recommends safety initiatives that will guide all organisations involved in boating safety for at least the next five years.

A short overview version is also available, which summarises the key points of the strategy.

Boating Safety Strategy: 2007 Review of the New Zealand Pleasure Boat Safety Strategy
[PDF: 1.84Mb, 96 pages]

Boating Safety Strategy (overview only) [PDF: 591Kb, 8 pages]

Copies of these publications

For copies of the full review or the overview:

• email your details to: publications@maritimenz.govt.nz
• download the PDF files above.

The review is the work of the National Pleasure Boat Safety Forum. Find out more about the forum and its work.