Popular boating safety campaign hits communities in time for summer

Coastguard is excited to announce the re-launch of the ‘Old4New Lifejacket Upgrade’, a popular and highly successful boating safety initiative.

24 hours a day and 365 days a year, Coastguard is there for boaties and our communities as the charity saving lives at sea. As part of our mission – saving lives at sea through search and rescue, communication and education – the ‘Old4New Lifejacket Upgrade’ campaign is again launching in time for summer 2015.

The ‘Old4New Lifejacket Upgrade’ van, fully wrapped in vibrant signage and laden with lifejackets, will be visiting over 20 major boat ramps and locations around the greater Auckland, Northland, Coromandel and Waikato regions on weekends and key days throughout the busy summer holiday period.

The premise of the campaign is simple: bring your old, damaged or obsolete lifejacket to the Old4New team at one of the many pre-advertised locations, and receive a discount on a quality, fit-for-purpose Hutchwilco lifejacket. Boaties and members of the public are encouraged to visit the van and trade in their old lifejackets, and also get advice about boating and water safety from the friendly team on site at each location. For a full location schedule, visit www.coastguard.org.nz.

The Old4New Lifejacket Upgrade forms a key part of Coastguard’s advocacy for safe and enjoyable boating over the 2015/16 summer boating season. The importance of wearing a lifejacket was highlighted yesterday where a 6.5m powerboat capsized in rough conditions on the Manukau Bar. The three boaties onboard survived thanks to the fact that they were all wearing lifejackets. Recreational boating statistics also state that while almost all (96%) recreational vessel owners reported carrying lifejackets and 91% thought they were important1, almost one-third of vessels approached in a separate survey (almost all of which were 6m or under) had no-one aboard wearing lifejackets of any form2.

These statistics are all the more distressing knowing that, of the 43 boating fatalities in 2014 and so far in 20153, the majority could have been prevented had the person been wearing a lifejacket. The Old4New Lifejacket campaign, launched for the first time in New Zealand last year, aims to raise awareness of the importance of lifejackets while also taking practical steps to address the issue. At the end of the campaign, Coastguard will also distribute good condition traded-in lifejackets (that still meet NZ Standards) to communities in need.

The 2014 campaign was a huge success with over 2,700 old or unsafe lifejackets traded in for discounts on new, modern fit-for-purpose lifejackets. The campaign is made possible with the support of quality lifejacket manufacturer Hutchwilco and kiwi vehicle distributor Giltrap Group – both proudly New Zealand-owned companies supporting boating safety.

The initiative kicks off on Saturday 5 December at 7:30am at the Auckland Maritime Rescue Centre, in Mechanics Bay, Auckland. There will be lifejacket demonstrations and the opportunity to win a ride on a Coastguard vessel. The Old4New campaign van then moves to the busy Half Moon Bay Marina on the following day, Sunday 6 December, and continues to visit popular boat ramps throughout the busy summer period through until 1 February 2016.

For more information about the ‘Old4New Lifejacket Upgrade’ Campaign including a full location schedule and resources, or to find out more about Coastguard, visit www.coastguard.org.nz

ENDS

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