Preventing Boat Accidents This Summer

 Posted on June 26, 2018 in Personal Injury

While Illinois certainly is not a state on the ocean, many Lombard residents routinely spend summer vacations boating on Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes. However, sometimes people do not think about the serious boat accident risks that can arise when out on the water. Boats are motor vehicles. Therefore, if people are not careful, serious crashes can lead to life-threatening personal injuries.

Always Wearing a Life Jacket on the Water

The National Safe Boating Council recently introduced a campaign called “Wear It,” which encourages anyone who plans to go boating to take the “Life Jacket Pledge.” What is the pledge? In short, it is a promise to be safe and responsible out on the water. Safety means always wearing a life jacket. Those who take the pledge agree to the following:

“I will always wear my life jacket while boating or fishing, and encourage others to do the same! I’ll regularly inspect my life jacket and keep it in good condition.”

No one should go out on a boat—whether on one of the Great Lakes or on the open ocean—without a properly fitted life jacket. There have been a number of incidents in which kayakers have required rescue in Illinois, and individuals have survived only because they were wearing life jackets.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, more than 70 million people in the country engage in recreational boating each year, and many people continue to suffer avoidable fatal injuries simply because they refuse to wear a life jacket or to take boating safety seriously. Indeed, more than 80 percent of people who drown in boating accidents are not wearing a life jacket.

Safety Tips for Safe Boating This Summer

In addition to wearing a life jacket and ensuring that your friends and family member are also wearing their life jackets, Lombard residents who enjoy boating can prevent serious accidents and injuries by paying close attention to the following safety tips:

• If you are operating a boat, always pay attention to what you are doing. Similar to the way in which distracted driving can cause automobile accidents on the roads in DuPage County, failure to have a proper lookout can result in a serious or even deadly boating accident;
• Get a proper safety check on your boat before taking it out on the water this summer;
• Create a float plan an learn how to file it so that a member of the U.S. Coast Guard or local law enforcement can locate you quickly in the event of an accident;
• Get educated about boating safety and take a safety course; and
• Never drink alcohol when operating a boat to avoid a potentially deadly DUI crash.

Contact a Lombard Boating Accident Lawyer

Similar to other motor vehicle crashes, boating accidents can result in serious personal injuries. If you or someone you love got hurt in an accident, an experienced DuPage County boat accident lawyer can help with your case. Contact Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices to discuss your options.