Canadians more concerned with safety in backyard pools than boating

Each summer, tragic and preventable deaths occur in backyard pools across Canada. A recent poll conducted by the Canadian Red Cross shows that 70 per cent of Canadians say they would be concerned about their children playing in a backyard that has a pool, even if their children know how to swim.

But despite significant water safety education and awareness programming, there is still a gap in Canadians’ behaviour around the water: Fewer than 50 per cent of Canadians who use boats say they always wear a lifejacket. One in four people who do not use them say it is because they know how to swim. Fourteen per cent of Canadians keep a lifejacket on board, thinking they will have enough time to find it and put it on while falling out of the boat.

“The reality is, emergencies happen quickly and there is no time after the fact to put on a personal flotation device,” says Shelley Dalke, manager of national swimming and water safety programs for the Canadian Red Cross. “It’s all about making choices. Sadly, many people chose to disregard basic safety measures such as wearing a lifejacket while boating.”

Every year, approximately 400 Canadians die of drowning; of the 160 people who drown while boating, nearly 90 per cent are not properly wearing a lifejacket.

Check here to learn more about what Canadians had to say about water safety.

Posted:  August 23, 2012 / Updated:  August 29, 2012