Safety and survival technology leader ACR Electronics has been recognized by the Sea Tow Foundation™ for its global campaign to drive maritime industry transition to electronic flares.

Presented at this year’s International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX), the National Boating Safety Award for Best Integrated Boating Safety Campaign honors ACR Electronics’ multi-channel efforts to raise awareness about the benefits of electronic visual distress signaling devices (eVDSDs) and accelerate their adoption by leisure boaters and commercial mariners across the world.

The central aim of the campaign is to call for a global standard to recognise eflare technology as an internationally-approved distress signal and expedite the movement towards electronics as a safer and more reliable alternative to pyrotechnic devices.

The new award reflects ACR Electronics’ ongoing 70-year commitment and pioneering work to improve rescue outcomes and onboard safety with technologically-advanced, easy-to-use devices.

Mikele D’Arcangelo, Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Management, ACR Electronics, said: “ACR Electronics, with support from sister brand Ocean Signal, are proud to have reached thousands of boaters over recent months through dedicated email campaigns, social media, website content, editorial features, press releases, face-to-face engagement at boat shows and events, and more – providing important information about electronic flares, including the safety benefits, new developments and approvals, and the evolving legal requirements.

“We are honored to receive this award from the Sea Tow Foundation, an organization that shares our commitment to safe and responsible boating.

“Electronic flares feature hours of burn time compared to just minutes for pyrotechnic flares, are safer to use, can be tested and reused, and don’t expire or create hazardous waste. Our goal is simple: to make sure leisure boaters everywhere know they have a better option, and to see that option recognized by regulators with an international standard, instead of country-by-country approvals.”

The ACR Electronics campaign coincided with a landmark moment for distress signaling in 2026 when the U.S. Coast Guard completed the transition to approved eVDSDs as a replacement for traditional pyrotechnic flares aboard its boats. The Coast Guard stated the move enhances safety by providing a more reliable and longer-lasting distress signaling capability.

Approved electronic flares are already a legal replacement for pyrotechnic flares on recreational boats in the U.S. and Canada. Internationally, however, mandatory carriage of pyrotechnic flares persists. ACR Electronics is calling for an international standard for eVDSDs that could be adopted by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) and other maritime agencies.

The Sea Tow Foundation™, a national non-profit dedicated to reducing boating-related accidents and fatalities, in partnership with its Boating Safety Advisory Council, announced winners across nine categories for 2026 at IBEX in Tampa, FL on October 6, 2026.

Now in its eighth year, the awards recognize outstanding efforts within the recreational boating industry that promote safe and responsible boating to help build more confident boaters. This year, they focused on how boating safety is being promoted across the industry by recognizing outstanding education, community engagement, digital initiatives, technology, partnerships, campaigns, and adv