This became abundantly clear in 1994, when a huge wave ripped the bow door right off the Estonia near the coast of Finland. When the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg, there weren't enough lifeboats for the number of people on board. By the time the Britannic set sail, two years later, ships were required to carry enough lifeboats to accommodate all on board. This addition helped save the lives of most of those aboard the Britannic. According to Dr. Hughes, lifeboat technology has continued to evolve.
Lifeboats are much easier to launch now.
And they've doubled the capacity. So if a ship is heeling and you can only launch boats on one side, you still have enough. New types of evacuation slides are also beginning to be deployed. If disaster does strike, the chances of help arriving in time to minimize casualties are better today than ever before. Advanced communications and navigation technology allow the Coast Guard and other rescue agencies to pinpoint ships in distress quickly and accurately.