Speed Saves. Slow Kills.
The following letter was submitted by a local reader, making the case that faster boating is safer boating...
August 7, 2006
Letter to the editor:I believe the advocates for safer boating laws need to refocus their energies on the real issues regarding boat safety. Over the last three years, boating deaths must be up about 500% due to drowning while swimming from a boat. It appears that a near zero speed limit wouldn’t have prevented these tragic deaths. Maybe we should outlaw swimming from a boat or require certified swimming certificates prior to swimming from a boat. You could even get those certificates on line! Perhaps we simply required all swimmers to wear life jackets regardless of where they are swimming from. It would certainly save money on funding dive recovery teams and definitely save lives.
Maybe they’re looking at this all wrong. Wouldn’t a minimum speed limit keep people from jumping out of their boat? I don’t know about you but if I’m going 80 MPH in a boat, I’m staying in it!
I know these ideas are silly. It’s a boating speed limit (80) that will finally make the lake safe.
Terry Stewart
