Ahead of the summer holidays, ex-Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington OBE is warning parents of the danger their children could be in at the pool – due to the colour of their swimwear.
Adlington is backing a campaign launched by On the Beach that is urging the government to stop retailers from selling blue, white and grey swimwear for children.
According to the campaign’s research, blue, white and grey swimwear is almost invisible at a swimming pool depth of two metres, increasing a child’s risk of not being spotted if they get into difficulties.
Two-thirds of children wear these dangerous colours instead of safer, bright alternatives, the campaign said, with 90 per cent of parents unaware of the risks.
Adlington says: ‘I’ve swam my entire life and I’ve only recently become aware that there are certain colours that can’t be seen underwater. As a parent, I feel like I should have been aware of this sooner.
Ex-Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington OBE (above) is warning parents of the danger their children could be in at the pool – due to the colour of their swimwear
Adlington is backing a campaign launched by On the Beach that is urging the government to stop retailers from selling blue, white and grey swimwear for children. According to the campaign’s research, these colours are almost invisible at a swimming pool depth of two metres
‘Alongside On the Beach, I’m urging the future government to review the legislation around selling blue, white and grey swimwear to children so that retailers are being safe and helping look after our children by not selling unseeable swimwear that could put them in danger.’
On the Beach’s Change.org campaign petition, calling on the government to review legislation around children’s swimwear, has gained more than 2,000 signatures.
The campaign has also received support from the Royal Life Saving Society, a drowning prevention charity. Matt Croxall, UK charity director, says: ‘We’re delighted that On the Beach is working hard to raise awareness of the importance of water safety.
‘We would urge parents to choose brightly coloured swimwear for their children while planning their holidays, rather than colours such as blue, white and grey, which are more difficult to see underwater.’
Pink, yellow, red, black, purple, green and fluorescent colours are all considered safe options that can easily be seen underwater
Ann Hook, who signed the petition, says: ‘If lifeguards cannot see the child in difficulty, they might as well not be there.’
Another signatory says enhanced legislation could ‘prevent absolute tragedies from happening to families’ while one says it’s ‘scary how invisible some of the colours are’.
Blue is the hardest colour to spot below the water because of how people perceive ‘colour at depth’, according to colour expert Lee Chambers. He says: ‘The lack of contrast, disruption of outline and camouflage effect can all play a role in making swimwear in these colours difficult to discern, lack visibility and go unnoticed, a potential safety risk in comparison to colours that reflect light and have a sharper contrast.’
Pink, yellow, red, black, purple, green and fluorescent colours are all considered safe options that can easily be seen underwater.
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Is YOUR child’s swimwear almost invisible underwater? Ex-swimming champion Rebecca Adlington backs campaign to stop retailers selling trunks and bathing suits that could increase a risk of drowning
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