Washington, D.C. ? The government announced new safety standards Thursday for air tour companies that operate at many scenic vacation spots and for pilots who offer rides at air shows.

Safety investigators have pressed for the changes, after looking into 107 accidents that killed 98 people between 1988 and 1995.

The National Transportation Safety Board in 1995 conducted a broad investigation of air tour accidents. The review came after two fatal helicopter crashes in Hawaii on July 14, 1994.

In one crash, passengers were not told about life vests beneath the seats. When the aircraft crashed into the ocean, the passengers did not use the vests. Three people drowned.

On July 3, 1997, a sightseeing airplane flight ditched about 100 feet from shore near Skagway, Alaska. Two passengers drowned and two were presumed drowned. None was wearing life jackets.

The new standards require better passenger briefings and life preservers for passengers on planes that fly over water.