U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for May 23

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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MONDAY, MAY 23: SAFE BOATING WEEK

Profile America -- Monday, May 23rd.  One sure sign that summer is near is the covers coming off of boats in backyards and marinas all over the country as people get ready for a season of fun on the water.  With the long Memorial Day weekend coming up, this is National Safe Boating Week.  One of the key themes of the program is to get more people to wear life jackets.  The Coast Guard notes that in over three-quarters of all fatal boating accidents, victims drowned.  Of those, more than eight-out- of-10 were not wearing a life jacket.  Alcohol, lack of training, and inability to swim also contribute to fatal accidents.  About 66 million people enjoy boating each year and there are nearly 17 million pleasure boats on the nation's lakes, rivers and coastlines.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2011, p. 281

U.S. Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2011, t. 1242

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau