RICHMOND—“Always wear your life jacket!” is the theme of a National Safe Boating Council campaign—and the best way to prevent drowning while on a boat or other watercraft.

In 2011 there were 758 U.S. boating fatalities, the highest number since 1998, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Nearly 70 percent of all fatal boating accident victims drowned; of those who drowned, more than 75 percent were not wearing a life jacket.

“Whether you can swim or not, it’s important that boaters of all ages, on any size watercraft, wear a life jacket at all times while on the water,” said Jimmy Maass, safety manager for Virginia Farm Bureau. “Life jackets made today are lighter and less obtrusive, so there’s no excuse not to wear one.”

Another way to stay safe while boating is refraining from alcoholic beverages.

“Boating and alcohol mixed together is a fatal combination,” Maass said. “You don’t drink and drive on the highway, so why would it be OK to do it on the open waters?”

Maass said a boat operator with blood-alcohol content higher than .10 is 10 times more likely to die in an accident.

“Besides asking for trouble, operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal in Virginia and a violation of federal law,” he noted.

Stay alert to all hazards, and maintain control of the boat while respecting the rights-of-way of others. Avoid operating a boat in adverse weather or rough water, and always keep an eye on the sky and listen to a radio for reports of changing weather conditions.

Before heading out on the water, thoroughly inspect a boat to make sure everything is in proper working order and that the appropriate safety gear is on board.

Remember that all boat engines produce carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless, poisonous gas that can be life-threatening if inhaled. Be aware of the early symptoms—irritated eyes, headache, nausea, weakness and dizziness—and keep everyone away from the exhaust, especially individuals being towed.

Make sure that all Virginia residents operating a boat or other watercraft have passed a boating safety course online or in a classroom as required by law. For more information about the course requirements, visit the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ website at www.dgif.virginia.gov.