New Research shows that yacht crew are not wearing lifejackets because they underestimate the risk of falling into the water and do not appreciate the danger of cold-water shock.
The study was commissioned by both the MCA and RNLI and was conducted by User Perspective. It looked at why people don’t wear lifejackets and explored ways to encourage them to change their minds. According to the study, those going afloat did not believe there was a high risk of falling into the water and therefore felt that a lifejacket was unnecessary.
Wearing a lifejacket has been shown to double a person’s chance of survival they buy vital time in the water and could save the lives of yacht crews who fall into the water, but only if they are wearing them.
The study found that, even if they did fall in, people expected to climb out easily or survive for a long time in the water. They thought lifejackets would not increase their survival time significantly.
A general lack of awareness about the effect of cold-water shock was also highlighted in the report. Sudden immersion in cold water can cause increased blood pressure, a rise in heart rate and risk of gasping in water.
People did not consider cold-water shock as a risk and instead saw hypothermia as a greater threat.
Lifejackets need regular maintenance checks, they should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated area when not in use and receive a full service in line with the manufacturers recommendations.