JSI will continue the national life jacket wear rate study, which has tracked boater behavior since 1998

JSI Research & Training Institute Inc. received a $265,000 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Coast Guard under the National Nonprofit Organization Recreational Boating Safety Grant Program (CFDA 97.135), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. JSI will continue its National Life Jacket Wear Rate Study, a longitudinal initiative tracking boater behavior since 1998. The award funds analysis of 2025 observation data, production of the 2025 National Report, and execution of the 2026 study across 125 sites in 30 states.

In addition to core study activities, JSI will expand the initiative's scope through several new efforts designed to strengthen boating safety policy and interventions. These include developing regional briefs, evaluating social media's impact on life jacket use, piloting electronic data collection methodologies, and integrating multiple safety data sources to enhance evidence-based policy recommendations. This cooperative agreement supports the Coast Guard's mission to minimize loss of life, personal injury, and property damage in recreational boating through research-driven insights and national-scope safety data analysis.

The initiative will analyze 2025 observation data, produce the 2025 national report, and conduct the 2026 study at 125 sites in 30 states. New efforts will include regional briefs, evaluating social medias impact on life jacket use, piloting electronic data collection, and integrating multiple safety data sources to strengthen policy and interventions.