Promoting the importance of wearing life jackets when boating is one of a raft of agreements signed by Maritime New Zealand and national boating authorities from Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom.
International Lifejacket Wear Principles were agreed as part of the Marine13 conference in Sydney this month, following development work at the Canadian Safe Boating Council Symposium in 2012.
Signatories to the principles agreed to ensure any publication, including brochures, DVD, video and websites, features all people wearing contemporary life jackets when in an outside area of a small craft which is under way, and to recommend the same to the recreational boating industry in its publications.
Signatories will require on-water education and compliance staff to wear life jackets when they are on the water and encourage boating safety networks to support the principles.
Maritime NZ director Keith Manch said the principles aimed to make life jackets a normal part of any media, publicity, or advertising where small boats were involved.
''Just as use of seat belts in cars is now entirely expected, we want to see life jackets being worn whenever small boats are seen on screen or in photographs,'' Mr Manch said.
''The overall aim is to maximise life jacket use and encouraging media to make sure they are in the picture is part of that.''
Mr Manch said across the signatory nations, drowning was the most common factor in all fatal boating incidents, with four out of five victims reportedly not wearing a life jacket at the time.
