As invigorating as a boat ride can be, boating can also be an extremely dangerous activity when safety precautions for children aren't made beforehand. Whether you're planning to take your son or daughter on their first boat ride with kids, or have been boating with them for years, I would advise that you use these two safety precautions before every boat ride.
Make sure your child is wearing a life jacket
Make no mistake, your child should be wearing a life jacket before he/she ever boards a boat. There are parents that will laugh at the notion of forcing their child to wear a life jacket for a boat ride but unfortunately, accidents do happen. It may be unlikely that the boat you're in will sink or capsize, but there are several other things that could happen while inside a boat that might result in your child ending up in the water.
According to the United States Coast Guard's 2010 Recreational Boating Statistics Report, "Operator Inattention", "Operator Experience" and "Excessive Speed" are the three of the top known primary contributing factors in boating accidents. Should a child be thrown from the boat in the event of a collision or due to high speed, a life jacket may be the difference between their life and death. Of the victims who drowned in a fatal boating accident in 2010, nearly nine in ten were not wearing a life jacket (USCG 2010 Recreational Boating Statistics Report). These are deaths that may have been avoided if the person who went overboard was wearing a life jacket.
Well before your next boat ride, check to make sure that you or the boat operator has a life jacket that was made to fit your child. Adult-sized life jackets are not made to fit children, so if you're unsure that a life jacket will fit your child properly, refer to the Coast Guard's website. You may have to adjust the life jacket to ensure that it fits him/her snugly and does not allow for their chin or ears to slip through. If your child hasn't worn a life jacket before or is too young to put it on by themselves, help them put it on properly before stepping aboard.
Make sure your child is seated at all times
In addition to making sure your child is wearing a life jacket, it is important that they remain seated at all times while inside the boat. Aside from the possibility of being thrown from the boat in choppy water or while the operating is turning the boat http://bestonpaddleboats.com/, there are several other reasons why staying seated can keep them safe.
If you're the boat operator or lookout, it goes without saying that you need to be constantly aware of what's going on around you. If you can't see what's in front of you, to either side or even behind the boat due to a child standing in the way or distracting you, there's a very real chance that you may not see other watercraft, objects, or people that the boat could collide with. Secondly, as it's easy for a young child lose their balance even on dry land, why should they be doing it in a boat? If they were to fall, they could seriously injure themselves or others, or even potentially go overboard.
Once you're safely inside the boat with your child, insist that they sit and stay seated for the duration of the boat ride. Ideally, this is in a spot inside the boat
that's well within your reach in the case of an emergency. Aside from asking them to stay seated, insist that they keep their head, arms and legs inside the boat at all times.
Taking these necessary precautions before a boat ride not only keeps your child safe, but is the key to a fun boat ride for both you and your child.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7074859
Make sure your child is wearing a life jacket
Make no mistake, your child should be wearing a life jacket before he/she ever boards a boat. There are parents that will laugh at the notion of forcing their child to wear a life jacket for a boat ride but unfortunately, accidents do happen. It may be unlikely that the boat you're in will sink or capsize, but there are several other things that could happen while inside a boat that might result in your child ending up in the water.
According to the United States Coast Guard's 2010 Recreational Boating Statistics Report, "Operator Inattention", "Operator Experience" and "Excessive Speed" are the three of the top known primary contributing factors in boating accidents. Should a child be thrown from the boat in the event of a collision or due to high speed, a life jacket may be the difference between their life and death. Of the victims who drowned in a fatal boating accident in 2010, nearly nine in ten were not wearing a life jacket (USCG 2010 Recreational Boating Statistics Report). These are deaths that may have been avoided if the person who went overboard was wearing a life jacket.
Well before your next boat ride, check to make sure that you or the boat operator has a life jacket that was made to fit your child. Adult-sized life jackets are not made to fit children, so if you're unsure that a life jacket will fit your child properly, refer to the Coast Guard's website. You may have to adjust the life jacket to ensure that it fits him/her snugly and does not allow for their chin or ears to slip through. If your child hasn't worn a life jacket before or is too young to put it on by themselves, help them put it on properly before stepping aboard.
Make sure your child is seated at all times
In addition to making sure your child is wearing a life jacket, it is important that they remain seated at all times while inside the boat. Aside from the possibility of being thrown from the boat in choppy water or while the operating is turning the boat http://bestonpaddleboats.com/, there are several other reasons why staying seated can keep them safe.
If you're the boat operator or lookout, it goes without saying that you need to be constantly aware of what's going on around you. If you can't see what's in front of you, to either side or even behind the boat due to a child standing in the way or distracting you, there's a very real chance that you may not see other watercraft, objects, or people that the boat could collide with. Secondly, as it's easy for a young child lose their balance even on dry land, why should they be doing it in a boat? If they were to fall, they could seriously injure themselves or others, or even potentially go overboard.
Once you're safely inside the boat with your child, insist that they sit and stay seated for the duration of the boat ride. Ideally, this is in a spot inside the boat
that's well within your reach in the case of an emergency. Aside from asking them to stay seated, insist that they keep their head, arms and legs inside the boat at all times.
Taking these necessary precautions before a boat ride not only keeps your child safe, but is the key to a fun boat ride for both you and your child.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7074859
评论
发表评论