Unintended Consequence

[michaelh]

I suppose that if there was no speed ban on Windermere then people would not be inclined to put speedboats on Derwent Water and crash into rocks in the dark at 3 in the morning

seven injured Story here

 

[l'escargot]

I think it was stupidity rather than location:

"This was an incident that could so easily have been averted.

Eight persons on a speedboat designed for four, combined with the fact that it was dark, meant that they would have had no chance of sighting the rocks that they collided with."

 

[michaelh]

Agrre that it was stupid. But before the ban no-one would have put a speedboat on Derwent Water where there are many restrictions; they would have gone to Windermere.

Quite a few people have threatened to move to the other lakes which are actually less restrictive than Windermere now.

For instance I don't think there are rules against Ringos etc. on the other three (Coniston,Derwent Water,& Ullswater)

 

[NastyMariaBird]

Surely the sensible thing to do would be to ban speedboats from all the lakes?!

 

[whisper]

I thought that they'd already done that , well if not "speedboats" then definitely "speedy boats" /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Lakesailor]

No. You can launch jetskis or F1 powerboats. You just can't exceed the speed limit.

 

[bob_tyler]

[ QUOTE ]
You just can't exceed the speed limit.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can but perhaps you shouldn't!

 

[michaelh]

Problems to this would be

A. Define speeedboat
B.The lakes have traditional rights of navigation.

The changes are the result of many years of planning included our learned friends and judges. They decided that it would be impossible to ban certain types of craft but that they could apply blanket speed limits.

Years back speed limits were introduced on Ullswater, Derwent Water & Coniston with the quid pro quo that these activities would be concentrated on Windermere where there were sections with no limit. Regulations were further tightened on Windermere to cover other activities - towable toys etc.

My point is that as soon as the ban came into force there were some who realised that that now all the lakes had speed limits there is no incentive to keep off U, DW & C.

 

[Lakesailor]

In fact, it's more appealing as they don't have the warden coverage that Windermere has.