ATLANTA — School is finally out and with most COVID restrictions down, whether it’s at summer camp or in the backyard, children will be making their way to the water.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention puts drowning as the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for children ages 1–14, but it is preventable.
This summer, it's important for parents to take the correct precautions when it comes to water safety, and they can start by choosing the correct swimsuit.
ALIVE Solutions Inc. specializes in this subject and they tested which color swimsuits have the best visibility in the pool and in open water.
They started by testing the suits in the pool. They used a pool with a dark bottom and a light color pool bottom and submerged 14 different colors underwater.
In both tests, the company found that neon colors: yellows, oranges and greens – consistently stayed the most visible.
Other colors that were visible were bright reds and pinks, however, parents should be aware that these colors might not be seen in other bodies of water.
In the survey, ALIVE Solutions Inc. also tested these colors in 18-in of lake water.
They found that the open water source would be cloudier than a pool, so certain colors like red and pink would not be seen.
Colors to steer clear of altogether are the whites, blacks, grays, and blues.
While darker swimwear might be visible underwater in a pool, ALIVE Solutions Inc. said that they could often be mistaken for leaves, dirt or a shadow.
In addition, most whites and blues will blend into the water once submerged.
Overall, the aquatic safety company suggests parents opt for bright colors and contrasting colors because standing out can make all the difference when it comes to water safety.