An Award to Avoid for Boaters

Our friends up north from safeboater.com are at it again, as they've sent us another disturbing list about boating accidents. And with so many boaters here in the US celebrating Memorial Day by taking the boat out for the first time of the season, we thought we'd share this list with you, too. Lists like this can be depressing, but they serve as an opportunity for us all to keep safety top of mind while boating, even as Safe Boating Week 2010 has come to a close.

This time, they have combed through the Darwin Award files of the past dozen years to highlight the top nine boating-related Darwin Award candidates. The Darwin Awards, as you may know, commemorate individuals who "died in spectacularly stupid ways, eliminating themselves and their foolhardy DNA from our gene pool." According to the folks at safeboater.com, the following Darwin Award candidates could have easily prevented death or injury in boating accidents by following just a few simple rules and using common sense on the water.

Each of the following boating safety reminders has a corresponding story related to the Darwin Awards, but we'll just include the tips. If you want the Darwin Award story behind each of these tips, you'll have to visit safeboater.com

1. Always wear a lifejacket or PFD (personal floatation device)
2. Avoid alcohol
3. Check the weather forecast before heading out
4. Use common sense and operate responsibly
5. Learn to swim
6. Never stand up in your small powerboat, canoe, or similar watercraft
7. Take a boating safety course
8. Don't overload your boat
9. Don't set off fireworks, firecrackers, or TNT while on your boat

For more safety tips like these, visit our boating safety page.

We sincerely hope YOU have a safe and happy Memorial Day.

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