What is the primary purpose of wearing a life jacket while boating?

Wearing a life jacket while boating is fundamentally about safety, and the primary purpose is to provide buoyancy and save lives. Life jackets are designed to keep a person afloat in the water, which is crucial in scenarios such as capsizing, falling overboard, or during unexpected emergencies. Their ability to support the wearer’s head above water significantly increases the chances of survival, especially if the individual is unconscious or unable to swim.

While enhancing visibility and keeping warm can be additional benefits of wearing certain types of life jackets, they do not address the essential life-saving function. Preventing accidents is important, but life jackets themselves are not designed to prevent accidents; instead, they are a critical safety measure meant to protect individuals after an accident occurs. Therefore, the primary reason for wearing a life jacket emphasizes its life-saving properties through buoyancy assistance.