Boating safety advocates across the United States and Canada have teamed up to promote safe and responsible boating, including consistent life jacket wear during recreational water activities, with the national theme, Wear It!

As you head off on family vacation with your kids, the National Safe Boating Council wants you to remember to always wear a life vest when boating. Too often, both experienced and inexperienced boaters have a false sense of security and don't wear life jackets. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 22 children under the age of 13 lost their lives while boating in 2015. More than half of those children died from drowning.

"It's tempting to boat without wearing a life jacket, especially on nice days," said Rachel Johnson, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council, the lead organization of Wear It! "A life jacket not worn can't save your life. Always Wear It!"

As a parent, you will likely ensure your children are wearing life jackets, but you may feel that you don't really need one. Consider the rules we hear every time we fly: Put the oxygen mask on yourself first so you can help your child. The same is true for life jackets. You can't save your child if you don't save yourself first. Accidents on the water can happen much too fast to reach and put on a stowed life jacket. Drowning is the reported cause of death in three-fourths of all boating fatalities, and 85% of those who drown are not wearing life jackets.

.

The NSBC encourages you and your family to take the steps to always boat responsibly by:

  • Wearing your life jacket and ensuring that everyone on board wears life jackets (when in a small boat or operating in rough water or threatening weather conditions).
  • Remaining sober and alert — alcohol is responsible for 17% of boating fatalities.
  • Staying in control of your craft and respecting the rights of others enjoying the waterways.
  • Knowing and obeying navigation rules, operating at a safe speed, and maintaining a proper lookout.
  • Keeping in touch — cell phones, satellite phones, emergency position radio beacons, VHF radios, and personal locator beacons can all contribute in an emergency.

For more information about boating safety and life jacket wear, follow "Wear It!" on Twitter and Facebook.

Source for statistics: Boating Safety Facts