The National Safety Council and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. have teamed up again this boating season to help spread the word about the importance of life jackets. Drowning is the leading cause of death for recreational boaters with 574 drownings in 1998. Life jackets are more comfortable today and they are proven life savers. Even experienced swimmers may panic and drown. Federal law requires boat operators to have a properly fitting life jacket for everyone on board and a throwable device for craft that are 16 feet in length or longer.
Some states require that children wear a life jacket.
Obey your state's laws. Hypothermia, the loss of body heat, contributes to as many as half of all water fatalities. If someone is in 50-degree water for 50 minutes, they have a 50 percent better chance of survival if they're wearing a life jacket. The National Safety Council is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. More than 16 billion products bearing the UL Mark enter the marketplace each year.