Last week’s safety article reviewed a checklist to ensure your safety life jacket/vest met the necessary safety factors to be considered in “serviceable condition” by the U.S. Coast Guard. This week we will continue our water safety, narrowing our focus to discussing boating safety.
Boating is an activity which can be fun with family and friends, but it also can be dangerous. This danger can be minimized drastically if certain safety measures are practiced consistently.
Therefore, the first safety tip to practice is to keep safety first, always. All passengers onboard, regardless of age, should be thoroughly briefed on the importance of being alert and following the rules while boating. All safety rules and measures should be explained to guests before setting off on an outing.
Another very important safety tip to help decrease drowning risks while boating is not drinking alcohol while boating. It is not good practice to drink and drive a motor vehicle and it is not a good idea while boating either. It is one of the leading factors in boating fatalities. In 2021, it accounted for 100 deaths.
This safety rule does not only apply to the captain of the boat, but the passengers as well. Everyone should be alert and not impaired by alcohol in an emergency. Therefore, everyone should be sober.
Remember wearing a safety life jacket/vest on a boat is mandatory. This is not just a safety tip. Life jackets/vests must be United States Coast Guard (USCG) approved. Look for the USCG stamp inside the life jacket, alongside sizing and other valuable information.
Some may feel like wearing a life jacket/vest on calm weather days is overkill, it is not. It’s not because it is difficult to predict the weather and if the wind suddenly picks up and waves get rougher, even the most skilled boaters can be surprised and quickly get into trouble. Events can happen quickly and unexpectedly, and boaters might not have time to grab their life jackets before finding themselves in the water.
Do not remove your life jacket/vest even if you feel it is too warm or cumbersome. Safety life jackets/vests save lives! This practice and others are essential in Keeping an Eye on Safety. Other tips will be reviewed next week.
