Quote:
Originally Posted by Bear Islander
BroadHopper
There is a New Hampshire law that references reasonable and prudent speeds. This is it in part.
No person shall operate a vessel on Lake Winnipesaukee at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the existing conditions and without regard for the actual and potential hazards then existing. In all cases, speed shall be controlled so that the operator will be able to avoid endangering or colliding with any person, vessel, object, or shore.
Does this sound familiar? Is this the law you were referring to?
|
Perhaps the law would have enjoyed more widespread support if it had included the "reasonable and prudent" language, without adding a hard number limit,
and added other measures that addressed significant problems on the lake. Some possibilities might be:
• Providing additional funding to promote stronger enforcement of existing boating regulations, including a reasonable and prudent limit.
• Stricter boating education requirements.
• Designating parts of the lake for certain activities and prohibiting others from those areas, not to exclude, but to "provide for the safe and mutual enjoyment of a variety of uses."
• A restriction on weekend use of the lake that would permit only boaters over the age of 50 who own "family bow riders" no more than 23 feet long. (Well, okay, that's a long shot.)
I'm sure there are other steps that I haven't thought of that would genuinely address the problems on the lake. I could certainly understand if the MP did not particularly welcome "reasonable and prudent" without an objective limit, simply because it would be more difficult to enforce. And, of course, many if not all of these proposals would have spawned their own special interest opposition.
Judging from their opinions expressed in posts on this forum, some folks seem to believe that the speed limit is the magic bullet to cure all of the lake's problems (one person even predicted an economic windfall). Others favor the speed limit but acknowledge that it falls short of perfection. Still others do not feel strongly one way or the other, while some vehemently oppose the speed limit. But it does seem as though everyone cares about improving conditions at the lake, even if we don't all agree on the best way to do so (please don't cue the guitars for Kumbaya). Perhaps we've all missed an opportunity, but we have 2 years to correct that. I'm not a political activist and I don't know how best to do this. But I hope that the pro-limit people recognize how hard the opponents will fight the renewal of the current law, and that those who oppose the law recognize how hard others will fight to keep it.
Any ideas?