Speed Limits

[Great Idea]

Chase1 ,

You mention saftey and enforcement...... if I remember right part of the "saftey" on our highways involves speed LIMITS. All types of cars are welcome on all types of roads no matter their size or hp..... however they are required to ALL maintain the speed limit. Your arquement about the boat size etc is kind of silly indeed. Your welcome to drive your pretty Chase boat anywhere you like as long as you do so safely. Slowing down is part of saftey and reducing the potential of serious accidents involves slower operating speeds. My point is that if you have a boat that has hundreds and hundreds of hp way not take it to the place suited for it's speed potential? Enforcement and training ARE the most important components of improving the situation on the lake however without a speed limit as a component improved safety can't be achieved. Winni is just too crowded and small to support using boats at high speeds. Slowing folks down saves lives. End of story. I keep hearing posters say they don't see incidences of speed/close calls and I wonder how much time they really spend on the lake?? I see reckless operation involving speed all too often. Maybe it doesn't sound like a "Great Idea" to slow everyone down but I'll stick with the idea and make the sacrifice (I LOVE speed) if it means some innocent person or family doesn't get run down and killed.

[Woodsy]

By GREAT IDEA
I had a guy go by me in narrow channel YESTERDAY at 60 plus within 40-50 ft of my boat near Bear and he and his buddy weren't even looking up or forward. They passed between mine and another boat while fiddling with something on or under the dash. Never even saw us or if they did they didn't much care.

Great Idea….

You don’t see the problem with your story do you? Let us assume for the sake of argument you were at headway speed, minding your own business. Let us also assume for arguments sake, that you are correct in that the offending boat passed by you within 40-50ft at 60+ mph. Here where it gets sticky…

Question: How would a speed limit have changed your story?
Answer: It would not. It really doesn’t matter how fast the offending boat was traveling, he violated the 150’ rule. If the offending boat was on plane within 150’ of you then it really doesn’t matter how fast he was going. He broke the rule!

Question: What would have happened if a MP officer had witnessed this event?
Answer: The offending boat should have been pulled over and cited for violating the 150’ rule as well as reckless operation because the operator was not keeping a proper lookout. (You stated: “They passed between mine and another boat while fiddling with something on or under the dash”)

Question: What would have happened if a MP officer had witnessed this event and there was a speed limit?
Answer: The offending boat should have been pulled over and cited for violating the 150’ rule as well as reckless operation because the operator was not keeping a proper lookout. However, unless the MP boat was in the perfect position to radar the offending boat there is no way to accurately tell how fast the offender was traveling. More than likely a speeding citation would not have been issued, and if it was, it would be easily defeated in a court of law.

Question: What would have helped prevent this situation?
Answer: Better boater education, (so that maybe the offending operator would be more vigilant while operating his boat) more Full Time MP Officers to provide better coverage & enforcement of existing rules on the lake.

How would a speed limit mattered in this case? It didn’t. We also know that even with specialized training the MP officers receive, distance is hard to judge on water, so is speed. Your story Great Idea is unfortunately full of holes when it comes to demonstrating the need for a speed limit. It does work really well however for demonstrating the need for more full time MP officers around the lake.

Woodsy

[chase1]

Great Idea,

You mention safety and enforcement...... if I remember right part of the "safety" on our highways involves speed LIMITS

Highway speed limits are not evidence for the need of the same on our waterways. Both have different factors that influence a safe rate of travel. Highways do not have a 150' rule they have lane markings as pointed out by Winnfabs.....Think of the distance separating a car from roadside property and oncoming traffic. Would you like to pull the current 150' navigation law because it is NOT part of the safety on our highways?

I keep hearing posters say they don't see incidences of speed/close calls and I wonder how much time they really spend on the lake??

They are referring to accident data. There is no data to support your view that “ Winni is just too crowded and small to support using boats at high speeds” (I assume above 45mph). Accident data does not support the need of a speed limit yet does indicate the need for better boating education. Your sightings regarding reckless operation and excessive speed are also supported with data (refer to the CG report linked on Winnfabs) showing them to be of the top four contributing factors of all boating accidents. Current navigation laws cover this type of activity. Enforcement and education (training) are the most important components of improving the situation…not more legislation.

My point is that if you have a boat that has hundreds and hundreds of hp way not take it to the place suited for it's speed potential

I do…. I use my boats of the coast as well as at the lake because...

Your welcome to drive your pretty Chase boat anywhere you like as long as you do so safely

.

We seem to agree.

Chase1