Which item should a PFD feature besides the vessel's name?

Which item should a PFD feature besides the vessel's name?

• A. Retro reflective tape
• B. Owner's phone number
• C. Date of manufacture
• D. Color code

Answer: (A)

Visibility in low-light situations is the key safety idea here. A PFD should help people be seen, not just float. Retroreflective tape does that by reflecting light from a boat’s headlamps or a searchlight back toward the source, making the wearer more conspicuous and speeding up rescue if someone goes overboard. The vessel’s name on a PFD is mainly for identification, not for helping rescuers locate the person. Other options—like a phone number on the PFD, or manufacturing date or color code—do not improve visibility or rescue effectiveness in the moment, so they’re not the essential feature for safety on a PFD.

Visibility in low-light situations is the key safety idea here. A PFD should help people be seen, not just float. Retroreflective tape does that by reflecting light from a boat’s headlamps or a searchlight back toward the source, making the wearer more conspicuous and speeding up rescue if someone goes overboard. The vessel’s name on a PFD is mainly for identification, not for helping rescuers locate the person. Other options—like a phone number on the PFD, or manufacturing date or color code—do not improve visibility or rescue effectiveness in the moment, so they’re not the essential feature for safety on a PFD.