A valuable contribution by Captain Colin Smith:

Shipowners will never introduce measures to expedite the detection and recovery of persons lost overboard until they are forced to, either by statute or market pressure. Perhaps people planning trips on cruise ships or passenger ferries should quiz the ticket agent as to the existence on board of this very cheap and effective counter-measure. Somehow the operators, who are profit-driven, must wake up to the fact that passengers will not continue to suffer exposure to this risk. What we are seeing here is the unacceptable face of capitalism. As with the “Herald of Free Enterprise” disaster, operators will only take safety seriously when they are forced to.