Glaring issue with Australia’s red and yellow beach flags revealed | Yahoo News Australia

Subscribe and turn on notifications🔔 : https://buff.ly/3F6ZiLt | Red and yellow flags are an iconic and necessary staple across hundreds of Aussie coastlines.

But for overseas visitors, the meaning of the flags isn’t always clear, and many associate them with danger, rather than protection.

Drowning prevention researcher and lifeguard Dr Masaki Shibata knows firsthand about the dangers of big swells combined with inexperienced swimmers, and is pushing for changes to ensure a safer beach experience for everyone.

His recent study revealed that over 70% of overseas visitors surveyed interpreted the red and yellow safety flags as signalling a danger zone.

Dr Shibata told Yahoo News “Red is universally recognised as a warning colour. A lot of people associate the colour with red traffic lights, so it gets confusing… We need to find a way to deliver the safety message to those who are not aware of the risk.”

According to the study, the colour of signs also influences beach behaviour. When shown “beach closed” signs with red and yellow backgrounds, 80% of participants recognised the red as signalling a serious warning.

However, when a yellow warning sign about dangerous currents was displayed alongside images of swimmers, nearly half said they would still enter the water.

With more than 760,000 short-term international visitors arriving in March 2024 alone, beach safety messaging remains critical for all visitors, especially those unfamiliar with Australian surf conditions.

Read more: https://au.news.yahoo.com/lifeguards-push-for-major-change-on-aussie-beaches-amid-fears-of-confusing-and-deadly-discovery-064259507.html

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