Boating is a blast - there are few things more fun than gliding out on the water on a warm day, enjoying the sunshine, and romping in the water all day. In order to ensure that your boating experience is always spectacular, maintaining boat safety is key for everyone involved.
At the beginning of boating season, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) celebrate National Safe Boating Week. During the event boating safety practices like wearing life jackets are highlighted to provide information and raise public awareness.
Statistics show that over 80 percent of victims of Pennsylvania boating accidents were not wearing life jackets at the time of their accidents.
What is the law? According to the Coast Guard, all boats must carry at least one life jacket for each person on the boat. It is important to note that these life jackets should all be Coast Guard approved (Type I, II , III or IV) in order for them to qualify as sufficient boating safety wear. Children should only wear child-sized life jackets that do not allow their ears or chin to slip through. Boats 16 feet and over are also required to have a throwable device (Type IV).
Although having on board enough life jackets is one of the most crucial safety precautions boaters can take, there are also some other safety measures to keep in mind:
• Sometimes normal hazards can escalate and contribute to greater safety problems. Make sure to stay properly hydrated and avoid heatstroke. Also ensure that you wear sunscreen or other sun protection - sunburns can become very bad, and they can come on fast with the sun reflecting off the water.
• Make sure your boat has all necessary safety equipment on board including life vests, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and emergency rafts and communication devices as needed.
• If you are boating at night, make sure you have the proper lights in your boat for navigating through the water. Especially on moonless nights, it can get very dark and impossible to see any boat that is does not have lights.
• If swimming off the boat, avoid swimming by the propeller area as a rule. Make sure that no one is in the water when the boat starts up again, as this could cause a potentially fatal accident.
• Make sure that people know when the boat is about to start or stop. This way they can hold on. Sudden starts or stops can actually throw people out of boats or cause injury from being thrown against the boat.
• Do not ever drink and drive while operating a boat. There should always be at least two sober people on a boat - the driver and one other person who knows how to operate the boat in case the driver becomes incapacitated.
Keeping these precautions in mind will help ensure a safe boating season for everyone.
