Importance of Wearing a Life Jacket
“Where the cause of death was known, seventy-seven (77) percent of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, eighty-four (84) percent were not wearing a life jacket.”
The United States Coast Guard provides reasons you should always wear a life jacket, but one thing to always keep in mind is that accidents can happen anywhere at any time. You can control the actions that keep you safe, but you cannot control external factors. Wearing a life jacket drastically increases your chances of coming home safely.
The U.S. Coast Guard makes the following recommendations for life jackets:
- It should be U.S. Coast Guard-approved
- It should be the proper size for the wearer
- It should be in good and serviceable condition
- It should be properly stowed so that it is readily accessible
Life Jackets are not just for kids
In the state of Virginia, anyone 14 years or younger is required to wear a life jacket in a vessel at all times, moving or not. But Life Jackets are not just for kids. Did you know four out of five people who die from drowning are over the age of fourteen? That is a large number of people who probably think they’re too old for a life jacket. A life jacket is required for anyone of any age on the water.
A lot of people think they don’t need a life jacket if they already know how to swim. You may be confident in your swimming ability, and you may even be an Olympic swimmer! But the reality is that life jackets are important for everyone, even professionals.