By Amalia Kortright, For The Tribune
The National Safe Boating Council is raising awareness about the importance of life jackets through their Wear It! campaign. As part of their campaign, they will be launching National Safe Boating Week from May 21-28.
“The most important life-saving tip is to wear your life jacket at all times,” said spokesperson Rachel Johnson.
According to U.S. Coast Guard statistics, 84 percent of people who drowned in boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket.
Fortunately for Alabamians, the state does not rank in the top 10 states for boating accidents. According to Johnson, boating fatalities have decreased overall in the past few years.
“That’s very promising data,” said Johnson. “The statistics have been showing a downward trend for the state of Alabama.”
However, out of the 418 people who drowned in 2014 in Alabama, only 64 were wearing a life jacket.
Results from a survey conducted by the NSBC indicated that the two main factors against life jacket use are discomfort and the lack of a legal requirement to wear one. However, boaters in locations with high activity wear their life jackets “always or most of the time.”
In addition to wearing a life jacket, the NSBC encourages boaters to make sure that their life jackets fit correctly, are approved by the U.S. Coast Guard and remain in good condition.
National Boating Safety Week is also used to encourage boaters to observe recreational boating laws and ordinances in their area.
“Don’t boat under the influence, and take a safe boating course,” said Johnson.
Wear it! is headed by the U.S. Coast Guard, and sponsored by the Sports Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. For more information about boating responsibly or life jackets, visit the National Safe Boating Council’s website.