A new style of lifejacket

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Last Sunday, a fashion parade of the latest in the world of lifejackets was held at Darling Harbour. It was a part of a Transport for NSW boating safety campaign, which aimed to promote the use of lifejackets.
These lifejackets on display ranged from the traditional high visibility foam lifejacket, to more comfortable and less visible “belt bag” lifejackets.

“Gone are the days of the bulky lifejacket that always seems to be in the way, replaced by modern designs that are comfortable and easy to wear all day on the water,” the General Manager, Office of Boating Safety and Maritime Affairs Mr Howard Glenn said. “The modern lifejacket is far more functional, comfortable and convenient to wear than ever before – meaning there is a lifejacket for everyone and every activity. And that means, there’s no excuse for not wearing one when you’re on the water.”
In a recent study of marine incidents in NSW there were found to be 167 boating fatalities and 575 serious injuries as a result of 3754 incidents over the past 10 years.  90% of those who died in NSW waterways were not wearign a lifejacket, despite it being mandatory to have lifejackets on every vessel.
“A lifejacket never ruined a day on the water – but it could easily save your life,” Mr Glenn said.
Spotted on the day were Mala Mehta and Ruchria Virmani, who wore lifejackets.