Movement towards electronics as the future of distress signaling for the commercial and leisure sectors reinforced by U.S. Coast Guard directive to remove pyrotechnics from its cutters in 2026

Marine safety and survival leaders ACR Electronics and its brand Ocean Signal are supporting industry transition to electronic flares and calling for a global standard to recognise the technology as an internationally-approved distress signal for commercial and leisure users.

ACR Electronics has welcomed the United States Coast Guard’s successful removal of pyrotechnic flares from its cutters and their replacement with safer, longer-lasting eVDSDs (Electronic Visual Distress Signaling Devices), completed by June 2026.

An RTCM (Radio Commission for Maritime Services) performance standard for eVDSDs is already in place and approved electronic flares are now a legal replacement to pyrotechnic flares for recreational boats in the U.S. and Canada.

However, many boaters in those countries remain unaware they can make the switch away from traditional pyrotechnics to a safer, cleaner and longer-lasting electronic alternative.

Internationally, mandatory carriage of pyrotechnic flares persists – both for cargo and passenger vessels subject to Conventions of the IMO (International Maritime Organization), as well as for many other commercial and recreational vessels under their own national regulations.

Designing and manufacturing survival lights since 1956, safety advocate ACR, alongside its sister brand Ocean Signal, is raising awareness about the benefits of eVDSDs, as well as urging regulators to adopt international standards for eVDSDs, following the precedent set by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Mikele D’Arcangelo, Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Management at ACR Electronics and Ocean Signal, said: “The indicators and industry trend signal a clear shift toward electronics as the future of distress signaling.

“In today’s age, with a formidable array of reliable electronic safety tools and advanced modern alerting and locating systems available, ACR Electronics believes eVDSDs are the logical alternative to pyrotechnic flares.

“Commercial operators and recreational boaters should no longer have to accept the drawbacks and risks associated with pyrotechnic flares, which raise issues for user safety and the environment, and create problems on land with disposal, transportation and storage.

“Now it is time to establish an international standard for eVDSDs that could be adopted by the IMO and other maritime agencies, recognizing this new emerging technology globally, instead of country-by-country approvals.

“We urge regulators to approve electronic flares as an equivalent carriage option, so the mandatory carriage of pyrotechnic devices can be phased out for the benefit of commercial vessels and leisure boaters across the world.”

Used in combination with today’s modern toolkit of safety, eVDSDs emit bright strobing LED patterns visible for miles. They are compact, waterproof and rugged, and can operate continuously for hours, compared to pyrotechnic flares which burn for 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

Unlike pyrotechnics, electronic flares can be tested safely, reused, and either be recharged or fitted with new batteries. They do not expire with a three-year shelf life, do not produce toxic waste, and do not risk setting a liferaft ablaze or potentially injuring the user or other crew.

RTCM-approved electronic flares produce the internationally-recognized SOS flash pattern known to rescuers.

As world leaders in safety and survival technologies, ACR Electronics and Ocean Signal manufacture cutting-edge rescue beacons and survival equipment, with a commitment to improve safety standards across the maritime industry and save more lives at sea.