HARRISBURG, Pa. (February 6) – During a meeting of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Boating Advisory Board today, members urged boaters to abide by the cold weather life jacket requirement, especially during the recurring “freeze-thaw” cycle happening across Pennsylvania.

This is the period, common during late winter, where air temperatures become warmer during the day, but water temperatures remain frigid. During these changes in weather conditions, boating activity increases, but many boaters, especially new boaters, do not realize the danger presented by cold water.

In January, the PFBC announced that the annual Mandatory Cold Weather Life Jacket Requirement, which was enacted in 2012, has resulted in fewer boating incidents that resulted in fatalities over its first decade in effect. Under the requirement, all boaters on boats less than 16 feet in length or any canoe, kayak, or standup paddleboard, must wear a life jacket from November 1 through April 30. Boating accident data has revealed that while the number of boating accidents during the cold weather months has remained comparable over the 10-year period, fatalities during the cold weather months have been reduced by approximately 50%.