The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) centered its latest podcast on the topic of risk: how to we perceive it, and are we accurate in our assessment of how risky an activity is?

The podcast delves into availability heuristic (or availability bias) – a mental shortcut that our brains use to judge the probability of something happening, based on images, stories, or experiences that we’ve seen and heard. NASBLA points out that boating is as dangerous as attending a dance party, according to data on fatalities – but people perceive boating as much riskier due to popular images of shark attacks, drowning, and the like. Listeners will hear more about how we perceive risk, and how to use this information to educate the public about risk and safety measures.

Access the podcast at no cost on NASBLA’s website, or on iTunes and Google Play. A full transcript is also available.