Norway’s national boating safety campaign Løft blikket is back for 2026, with a clear message for the summer boating season: pay attention, understand the risks, and know your own limits at sea. The campaign is run by Redningsselskapet, Kystverket and Sjøfartsdirektoratet, and this year’s focus is knowledge and competence on the water. Through short facts and concrete messages, the campaign reminds boaters how quickly an ordinary trip can become dangerous when speed, poor visibility, alcohol or lack of preparation are involved.

One of the strongest parts of this year’s campaign is the story of Kjetil Swensen, who lost his 23-year-old son in a serious boating accident in 2024. He shares his experience in the hope that it will make others stop and think before heading out. “I think maybe he would have been alive today if he had worn the life jacket,” he says. His message is not abstract safety advice, but a painful reminder that even a short boat trip can have fatal consequences when several risk factors come together.

The campaign highlights several concrete risks that many boaters may underestimate. A boat travelling at 20 knots covers more than 10 metres per second, leaving very little time to react. In twilight, a person can lose up to 80 percent of depth perception. Alcohol can also have a stronger effect at sea than on land, because waves, movement and the boating environment make judgement and coordination more difficult. Combined with cold water, poor navigation, lack of life jacket use or a moment of inattention, these factors can quickly become life-threatening.

In 2025, 18 people died in recreational boating accidents in Norway, the lowest number since registration began in 2001. But this followed 2024, when 40 people died, making it the worst year since 2005. Figures from 2021 to 2025 show why awareness is still needed: 69 percent of those who died were not wearing a life jacket, 35 percent of fatal accidents happened in darkness or reduced visibility, and 42 percent of those who died were under the influence of alcohol. The aim of Løft blikket is not to scare people away from life at sea, but to help them make safer choices before something goes wrong.

Find more from Løft blikket (Norway, June 2026)