Swimming Advocacy

[Keith99]

Over the weekend I watched a dual swimming meet between the U.S. and Australia. During it a water safety ad was shown several times. The uts of the ad went like this:

Drowning is the leading cause of death in children. The Drowning rate for ethnic communities is three times as high as the non ethnic rate. Make sure your kids learn to swim.

Except for the minority hook, which gives a very nice link between not being taught how to do something and getting bad results the same applies for cycling.

[genec]

The boating community has lots of PSAs out there dockside to remind boaters about safety issues... I have yet to see one bike shop with a safety sign, or offer an LAB class or anything similar.

In fact in order to promote the local LAB classes, I went into five local shops and asked if there were any classes on bike safety in the area... not a one knew of anything... and one guy even asked "what for???"

[Roughstuff]

Over the weekend I watched a dual swimming meet between the U.S. and Australia. During it a water safety ad was shown several times. The uts of the ad went like this:

Drowning is the leading cause of death in children. The Drowning rate for ethnic communities is three times as high as the non ethnic rate. Make sure your kids learn to swim.

Except for the minority hook, which gives a very nice link between not being taught how to do something and getting bad results the same applies for cycling.


Maybe cycling races like the tour de france or tour de trump could have a similar type of advertising, emphasizing some basic safety steps and gear for kids that would help them enjoy cycling more safely. MAke sure your kids learn to enjoy cycling safely!

roughstuff

[noisebeam]

There is a difference between swimming advocacy vs. drowing prevention advocacy.

In AZ there are about ~100 drownings per year. During warm months there is a drowning every 1-2 days. (Rates for different ethnic groups are roughly the same ranging from 2.1-2.6 per 100k)

Drowing prevention is primarily targeted toward adult supervision awareness. Most drowing victims are not the ones who needed training/awareness. Adults need to be trained so they can train their kids and prevent access.

Al

[filtersweep]

Isn't that a bit like preaching to the choir--- ?

If this were biking, these PSAs should be shown during NASCAR, for example... and since race is involved with the drowning rates, I will be treading on thin ice should I suggest more appropriate venues for the messages.

Over the weekend I watched a dual swimming meet between the U.S. and Australia. During it a water safety ad was shown several times. The uts of the ad went like this:

Drowning is the leading cause of death in children. The Drowning rate for ethnic communities is three times as high as the non ethnic rate. Make sure your kids learn to swim.

Except for the minority hook, which gives a very nice link between not being taught how to do something and getting bad results the same applies for cycling.

[Keith99]

There is a difference between swimming advocacy vs. drowing prevention advocacy.

In AZ there are about ~100 drownings per year. During warm months there is a drowning every 1-2 days. (Rates for different ethnic groups are roughly the same ranging from 2.1-2.6 per 100k)

Drowing prevention is primarily targeted toward adult supervision awareness. Most drowing victims are not the ones who needed training/awareness. Adults need to be trained so they can train their kids and prevent access.

Al

This is 180 degrees from what the ad I was talking about said. It was very clearly NOT about adult supervision. It was about teaching kids to swim because that is what will prevent drownings. A kid who can swim is not apt to drown. Adults can not be watching all the time.

Using the same approach you are citing the way to deal with cycling safety is to keep kids off bikes except when with an adult.

[caloso]

Small nit to pick, but wtf is a non-ethnic community? That's like saying non-accented speech.

[closetbiker]

In 2000, there were 3,482 unintentional drownings in the United States, an average of nine people per day. In 2001, 728 pedalcyclists were killed.

According to FARS, per exposure hour (so no excuse that there are more people swimming than riding, resulting in higher numbers of deaths), swimmers die at 4 times the rate of people who die on bicycles.

[noisebeam]

This is 180 degrees from what the ad I was talking about said. It was very clearly NOT about adult supervision. It was about teaching kids to swim because that is what will prevent drownings. A kid who can swim is not apt to drown. Adults can not be watching all the time.

Using the same approach you are citing the way to deal with cycling safety is to keep kids off bikes except when with an adult.
I was really thinking about kids too young to swim or swim unsupervised. 74% of drownings in AZ are the 0-4 age category. Yes you can teach kids in that range to swim or at least keep head above water, but never unsupervised and never leaving swimming pools unsecured.

Al

[Keith99]

I was really thinking about kids too young to swim or swim unsupervised. 74% of drownings in AZ are the 0-4 age category. Yes you can teach kids in that range to swim or at least keep head above water, but never unsupervised and never leaving swimming pools unsecured.

Al

Looks like we were thinking of 2 very different subgroups. You were looking at the very young, and for that group I agree. I was thinking much more about older, mainly minority kids. I doubt the numbers are much different by race for 0-4, but get older and having learned to swim (or not) makes a huge difference.

[closetbiker]

Maybe we should start a campaign to lobby for everyone who enters the water to be wearing a life vest. ;)

[Treespeed]

I started swimming lessons for my daughter at 3 months.

[Keith99]

Maybe we should start a campaign to lobby for everyone who enters the water to be wearing a life vest. ;)

I think that is the heart of the difference between what has happened with cycling and the ad I spoke of. Cycling seems to focus on helmets while this ad focused of swimming (e.g. knowing how to do the activity).

BTW it reminds me of one way life vests are like helmets, they both only do so much. The closest I was to an actual water based tragedy was out at Lake Mohave. Some kids from an inner city group were out in canoes about 100-200 yards offshore when their boat tipped over. Thgey did not drown, but they did die of exposure because they could not make it to shore. (It was in Cottonwood Basin and there was a wind so it was likely pretty nasty, but a decent swimmer should still have made it.).

Both helmets and life vests are no substitutes for knowing how to swim or cycle.

[lima_bean]

Good points on the life vests for helmets, especially as far as safety education is concerned, I think it is a very important point.

The analogy does only go so far though, as life vest severely restricts recreational swimming, whereas bicycle helmets dont really add many additional restrictions to cycling.

[banerjek]

BTW it reminds me of one way life vests are like helmets, they both only do so much. The closest I was to an actual water based tragedy was out at Lake Mohave. Some kids from an inner city group were out in canoes about 100-200 yards offshore when their boat tipped over. Thgey did not drown, but they did die of exposure because they could not make it to shore. (It was in Cottonwood Basin and there was a wind so it was likely pretty nasty, but a decent swimmer should still have made it.).

Awareness of the threats you face and being prepared for them is crucial. Cold water is no joke.

When I moved to the Northwest years ago, I thought swim distance in the ocean with no wetsuit. It was August, it was hot outside, and I had absolutely no clue as to what I was getting into. People told me I was nuts, but people have always said I'm nuts so I wasn't about to listen.

I couldn't believe how cold the water is. Even if you are strong enough to swim several miles, you'll die of hypothermia before you make it very far. Frankly, the benefits of life preservers in water like that are minimal. If you don't get fished out pretty fast, you're a goner.

[closetbiker]

Good points on the life vests for helmets, especially as far as safety education is concerned, I think it is a very important point.

The analogy does only go so far though, as life vest severely restricts recreational swimming, whereas bicycle helmets dont really add many additional restrictions to cycling.

Well, I could say life vests do a much better job at saving lives of those who enter water than helmets do for those cyclists who are hit by cars, but that's not the point. Learning to swim is much better for safety just as learning to ride is much better for safety.

[Bekologist]

isn't this about PSA's for bicycling safety, and not your pet cause against helmet use, closetbiker?

4 times the fatality rate for swimming versus cycling ISN'T a good reason to NOT have a PSA campaign for cycling safety in America. does Canada do any bike safety stuff? fill us in, closetbiker. i trust you can.

[slowandsteady]

Small nit to pick, but wtf is a non-ethnic community? That's like saying non-accented speech.



A community of people that were hatched from synthetic DNA.

[Keith99]

Small nit to pick, but wtf is a non-ethnic community? That's like saying non-accented speech.

Got me, that was the one little part of the ad I did not like, guess they were forced into a bit of PC speak.

[closetbiker]

fill us in, closetbiker. i trust you can.

I probably can fill some people in, but I know I can't fill you in, you're already full of it. ;)

[Bekologist]

your joke falls flat in view of a serious subject-

public service announcements for sporting safety.

Does Canada have any PSA's about bicycling on the news or in the popular press?

America's are nonexistant, except for occasional localized advocacy campaigns about bicyclist safety.

any input, dodger?

[closetbiker]

Many. Newspapers, magazines, television, information pamphlets.

Cyclists rights and responsiblities are included in the drivers examinations. We have programs for school age children, free courses in commuter cycling, as well as the more extensive Can-Bike courses for a fee.

Teaching how to be safe, share the road and avoid behavior that lead to problems problems is generally regarded as valuble.

No place for anarchistic, troglodytes here (although they do exist in a minority). They're bad for the road (and the landscape), police fine them for their behavior.

[GreenGrasshoppr]

Does Canada have any PSA's about bicycling on the news or in the popular press?


Every so often, there's a cautionary tale/article about an unfortunate cyclist in the papers.

The Ottawa police also has regular "blitzes" that target cyclists who don't have all the required safety equipment installed

[JohnBrooking]

In AZ there are about ~100 drownings per year.
There's water in AZ? ;)

[noisebeam]

Swimming pools, canals, reservoirs, rivers, bathtubs, buckets

Pools being the primary location for drownings

Al

[MichaelS]

I think that this proposal is a great and very simple idea. It amazes me that it has generated so many what I see as negative responses. It is a little thing, no one is saying it should be mandated, and it may help raise awarness. Is there really any down side?

Michael