Boating Season Is Here And It's Important To Remember Your Safety

As the temperatures continue to rise and we approach summer it's important to be safe on the water this summer. According to a spokesperson with Canadian Safe Boating Council, Canada records an average of 100 boating related fatalities a year.

"One of the things that continues to be an issue is life jacket wear," explained Ian Gilson. "Basically life jackets are a key consideration, because eighty percent of the boating related fatalities have been attributed to not wearing a life jacket. That's one key item we are really wanting to work on. Another is impaired boating. That's been a real area of concentration lately. Especially on long weekends, because people are in a real party atmosphere. They tend to associate that with alcohol. That's just fine as long as you do it when you get back from boating your boating trip, rather than before or during."

Gilson stated the boating related fatalities in Canada have dropped roughly thirteen percent as of late, but the number is still too high.

'Help Us Catch An Impaired Boater Call 9-11' is a new initiative that was put in place last year.

To learn more about boating safety visit the Canadian Safe Boating Council website.