For many families, swimming in pools and lakes is a great way for children to beat the heat and cool off on hot summer days. If you have a young child who will be hopping in a pool or lake this summer, you may not give much thought to the color of their swimsuit. However, a study released this year revealed some swimsuit colors were much more visible than others in pools and lakes. The most difficult colors to see were white and light blue. Most visible choices were neon yellow, neon green, and neon orange.

Increasing your child’s swimsuit visibility can be compared to donning reflective gear which increases visibility on the road as a jogger or cyclist. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that more than 350 children are tragically killed in backyard swimming pool accidents each year, with the majority of deaths occurring in June, July, and August. The lawyers at GB Law have had the privilege of representing drowning victims’ families and have seen first-hand that while these tragedies are heartbreaking, they are often preventable. Swimsuit visibility is one consideration to make a child easier to see for the visual observer supervising the child.

Of course, the color of a swimsuit alone will not keep your child safe in the water. Your child should always be supervised by an adult. According to Aquatic Safety Connection, participation in formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88%. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that most children ages 4 and older are able to learn to swim and many children ages 1 to 4 are able to learn to swim. Swimming lessons, while highly recommended, are still not a substitute for undistracted adult supervision.

If you are a parent, you should know that drowning is quick, silent, and it can happen to anyone. For more resources, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics Drowning Prevention toolkit.

If you or someone you know has questions about swimming pool safety or drowning incidents, call GB Law for more information.