Home News Ottawa Outdoors ODNR Announces New Boating Safety Campaign

ODNR Announces New Boating Safety Campaign

Wednesday, 07 May 2008

In an effort to better educate the state's recreational boaters about the importance of wearing life jackets, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft  announced its "Wear It, Ohio" campaign. While most adults comply with state law that requires lifejackets for those riding jet-propelled personal watercraft or those being towed by a boat, fewer than one in seven adult Ohio boaters voluntarily wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket while riding in a boat, according to observations made by state watercraft officers. Wear it, Ohio! aims at changing attitudes toward life jackets. Wear It, Ohio! was developed in partnership with the National Safe Boating Council. The council reports approximately 90 percent of all boating-related fatalities result from drowning and that 70 percent of these drowning victims were not wearing or properly wearing an approved life jacket or other personal flotation device. In Ohio, 14 persons died last year in boating-related incidents. Twelve of those 14 victims were not wearing life jackets. Additional information about the campaign is available at ohiodnr.com Email This Hits: 43 0 Comments Write comment Show/Hide comment form Name     Comment smaller | bigger   I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage. Write the displayed characters Add Comment