1971: Further Establishment of Safety Standards

In April 1971, the first edition of the UL 1123 standard for Marine Buoyant Devices (formerly known as Marine Purpose Water Safety Buoyant Devices) was released. It introduced the Type system and defined almost all of the U.S. Coast Guard–approved inherently buoyant life jackets until 2018.

In August 1971, the Federal Boat Safety Act was signed into law in the United States. The act mandated a cooperative federal and state effort to improve the safety of recreational boating in the United States. In addition, the act founded the National Recreational Boating Safety Program and gave the U.S. Coast Guard the authority to establish mandatory boat manufacturing and safety standards. The Federal Boat Safety Act led to a significant reduction in recreational boating accidents and fatalities after its passing.