Safety??..

[Dave1258]

With all due respect to recent weather conditions, it would appear that recreational boaters, are been given a raw deal due to negative and often exaggerated reports of serious incidents.
Media coverage seems to focus on high profile accidents, which in all fairness only account for 8% of fatalities in British coastal and inland waterways.

Would it not be fairer then, for the media to work with organisations like the RYA and CG to highlight the fact that leisure boating is for the most part safe?

Do you not agree that it would be far nicer to see adverts for training courses and their key role in reducing incidents, between T.V programmes, than to hear about someone who has just lost their life.??



<hr width=100% size=1> A man should have two things in life, a boat and a wife willing to let him have one.....

 

[longjohnsilver]

Idealistic but no hope of that ever happening. Papers thrive on bad and/or sensational news. Good news is of little interest to them.

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[Dave1258]

Idealistic perhaps,..do you remember all the TV ads regarding seatbelts before they became compulsory?

Motor car manufacturers sponsored the cost of these campaigns, why not Boat Manufacturers?


<hr width=100% size=1> A man should have two things in life, a boat and a wife willing to let him have one.....

 

[kindredspirit]

"Bad news" is news.
"Good news" is not.



That's the way it is, unfortunately.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.begleys.com/kevin/weather.htm>Weather & other useful links for Irish waters.</A>

 

[windandwave]

If you see inaccurate or exaggerated coverage the only solution is to write to the newspaper / radio station / television station pointing this out. A letter to the editor pointing out the safety of sailing / powerboating as a sport might also be called for. Bear in mind that it's those types of stories that lay the ground for compulsory licensing - failure to challenge the sensationalism now may well lead to licenses being required further down the road.

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[byron]

Lumped into your 8% is Joe Blogg's who allowed his son to drift out to sea on a Li-Lo or some person who got washed off a rock by a wave or someone cut off by the tide. The true figures of Yotties in trouble is miniscule. Even the RNLI (gawd luv 'em) play the numbers game. If a Lifeboat gives someone a tow in, this is listed as X number of lives saved. X being the number of people on board the casualty.

<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[Dave1258]

Good point Byron,..the results I read for the most part would indicate that leisure boating is safe....there are other areas of boating which are still of concern. Suprisingly the majority of incidents involving boats,relate to fishing and other commercial vessels.

Is this a numbers thing? i.e there are more people invoved in commercial boating than the leisure industry, therefore incidents become stastistical, or is it a safety related issue?

<hr width=100% size=1> A man should have two things in life, a boat and a wife willing to let him have one.....

 

[sailorman]

the RNLI used to "Render Assistance" now they save lives.
also got plenty of publisity on the Thames this w/e

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[ribrunt]

I have to take you to task here. The RNLI have three types of casualty:
Lives saved: where, but for the presence of a lifeboat/lifeguard, lives would have been lost.
People landed: where lives were not in immediate danger, but the people were landed ashore before situation worsened.
People brought ashore: Basically those towed home/not in danger.

These are all summarised as "people rescued" in the stats.

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[bigmart]

yes but you've got to admit that the RNLI do have a vested interest in bigging up the rescue statistics. More publicity means more donations.

Martin

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[PhilF]

Are you a member, could we do without them, I think not.

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[bigmart]

Yes I am a member. & that is not the point. I just happen to think that some of their marketing leaves a little to be desired, particularly, when it may be used as a method of placing unjustified controls on our boating pleasure.

Martin

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