Coast Guard recreational boating product assurance program

The purpose of the Coast Guard Recreational Boating Product Assurance program is to improve the safety of boats and associated equipment sold to the recreational boating public and thereby reducing injuries and deaths on the nations waterways. The program stems from laws enacted as early as 1940. Initially these laws pre­ scribed limited standards for motorboat equipment. Today's Recreational Boating Product Assurance pro­ gram involves approximately 3000 companies manu­ facturing and importing more than 2.5 million units an­ nually.