Safe Boating All Summer Long
Expert Article By: News Canada
(NC)?In Canada, studies show boating is a safe family activity. Almost every problem we hear about is the result of a stupid decision ? mixing alcohol with boating and/or ignoring safety regulations. There are some very simple ways to keep you and your family safe while boating.
The most common accident to passengers and crew is falling overboard. In fact, 40% of all fatal boating accidents arise from this. It can be avoided if boaters make sure they have good footing and a good hand-hold at all times. If you need to move around in the boat, hold on to both sides and keep your weight low.
Don't mix alcohol and water. In a Red Cross Society study, two-thirds of boating injury victims ? where the blood alcohol level was recorded ? had consumed alcohol. Almost 40% had an alcohol level above the legal limit. In addition to being illegal, it's clearly a dangerous idea to operate a boat and drink.
Always carry enough Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) for each person on board. For water-skiing, fishing or simply cruising, PFDs are absolutely essential. It's now even easier to find the ideal PFD because they're available in a wide array of colours and patterns. Choose one to match your swimsuit or boat and make sure it fits properly! The Red Cross Society study noted 92% of boating-related drowning victims were not wearing a PFD or lifejacket correctly!
Boating, practiced by smart boaters is safe. U.S. statistics show boating is twice as safe as biking, five times as safe as driving and 24 times as safe as scuba diving. By practicing safe boating, you're guaranteed to have a great time boating all summer long.
To get more information on boating, including a free CD-ROM entitled "Discover Boating", visit www.discoverboating.ca.
- News Canada
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About The Author News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services. |
