Importance of wearing a lifejacket highlighted to Augusta’s skippers of the future

Students at Augusta and Karridale primary schools will be given an opportunity to wear a lifejacket and see an emergency flare activated as Department of Transport (DoT) officers visit the area next week highlighting boating safety to skippers young and old.

DoT Regional Director Southern Sue Lannin said the five day visit to Augusta and surrounds would put a spotlight on boating safety and give the high number of local boating enthusiasts access to the latest promotions and information.
 
“In addition to the school visits, DoT marine safety education and regional officers will be promoting equipment maintenance at local boat ramps from Wednesday (February 27, 2019) and giving boat owners the chance to take the 30 Second Challenge to measure their readiness for an emergency on the water,” Ms Lannin said.

“At the Augusta River Festival on Sunday (March 3, 2019) local boat owners will be able to take advantage of the successful Old4New lifejacket upgrade, which allows skippers to exchange old, damaged, obsolete or foam filled lifejackets for a voucher to be used when purchasing a new one.”

The Old4New initiative, delivered in conjunction with the Royal Life Saving Society of Western Australia, spearheads a State-wide education campaign promoting the benefits of wearing lifejackets at all times while boating.

Ms Lannin said the upcoming school visits together with DoT’s primary aged education program Junior Crew, taught at both Augusta and Karridale, were important in teaching WA’s next generation of boat skippers about safety on the water.

“In the short-term the work we do with young people helps reinforce the benefits of lifejacket wearing and in the long term it will change people’s behaviour and improve the safety of people who enjoy boating in WA,” Ms Lannin said.

Tragically 70 per cent of deaths on WA waters over the last four years may have been prevented if the person had been wearing a lifejacket when they entered the water.

To avoid disappointment it’s important that people wanting to participate in the Old4New program read the guidelines on the Lifejackets page. 

Media contact: media@transport.wa.gov.au