Life Vest Laws
Thousands of families hit the water each week for boating adventures. Sometimes, though, fun turns to disaster. Hundreds of people drown every year in the United States as a result of boating accidents, and many of the deaths are preventable. The best preventive measure any boater can take is to use a life vest, and many state and federal laws require them to be worn.
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History
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In 1852, the United States Congress passed a federal law requiring steamboats on the nation's rivers to carry a float or life preserver for every passenger. The legislation paved the way for many states to enact life vest laws. Some, though, never did. Therefore, the U.S. Coast Guard, introduced a new rule in December 2002 requiring all children 13 and under to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket even if state laws did not require it. The law affected boaters in 15 states that had no such restrictions.
Significance
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In 2007, eight children age 12 and younger died from drowning while boating. Overall in the United States and its five territories, 685 individuals died while boating in 2007, and two-thirds were the result of drowning. Of the drowning victims, 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket.
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Function
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Life jackets are buoyant devices that come in three basic varieties: foam, inflatable and hybrid models. Wearing life jackets saves lives. State and federal governments enforce life jacket laws by fining individuals who violate them. In July 2009, KGW TV in Portland, Ore., reported that law enforcement officials issued $242 fines to 117 individuals over a single weekend for failing to wear life vests on the Clickamas River in Oregon.
Types
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The U.S. Coast Guard and individual states enforce several kinds of life jacket laws. For example, many states require life jackets to be worn by all boat operators and passengers in whitewater, and states including Florida and Michigan require life vests to be worn by all passengers under age 6. The U.S. Coast Guard, meanwhile, also enforces a federal law that requires all recreational boats to carry one personal flotation device for each passenger.
Size
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Personal flotation devices designed for children vary according to weight rather than by age. According to the U.S. Coast Guard's website, they are marked either for 30 pounds, 30 to 50 pounds or 50 to 90 pounds. Adult vests also vary, and the Coast Guard's federal life vest laws require that on-board life vests actually fit the passengers.
Prevention/Solution
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In September 1996, the U.S. Coast Guard approved inflatable life vests for the first time. Before then, inflatable life vests did not meet state and federal laws because the U.S. Coast Guard deemed them unsafe. The change in position, largely due to technological improvements in inflatable life vests, brought cheers from the BoatU.S. Foundation, which was concerned that many boaters do not wear life vests because they are bulky. The inflatable life vests, said the foundation, provide for greater comfort.
Warning
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In some states, there are no laws requiring life vests to be worn by individuals who are skiing or riding jet skis. The U.S. Coast Guard, though, recommends they be worn. Such sporting activities sometimes lead to mishaps, and even strong swimmers can be rendered helpless in the water.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Brightroyalty/Creative Commons
