By law, life jackets must be carried in motor and sailing boats, but those on board can choose whether or not to wear them.
Last year, there were 26 fatal water accidents involving motorboats. The second-largest number of deaths, 14, involved rowboats. In other types of vessels, such as sailboats, there was only one fatal accident.
"The majority of drownings took place while boaters were near the shores of their cottage," says TraFi's head of boat security Ville Räisänen. "In all likelihood, they reached out of their boat, or stood up and fell into the water."
TraFi has proposed that life jackets should be compulsory for all boaters including those rowing near the beach. Non-compliance would result in a fine.