Speed Limit Articles [Archive] - Winnipesaukee Forum

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03-18-2006, 06:56 AM

An article (http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060317/NEWS0202/103170051/-1/CITIZEN) in yesterday's Citizen written by Colin Manning entitled "Senate sinks boating speed" contains a serious error in the first paragraph that all boaters need to be aware of. The opening paragraph states:

...There will be no speed limit enforced on Lake Winnipesaukee or any other body of water in New Hampshire, as the Senate killed a controversial bill that would have affected all of the state's waterways...

This paragraph is factually incorrect. As many of you know there are over 80 public bodies of water in the State that have some form of speed limit already imposed on them. Squam lake is an excellent nearby example. These speed limits remain in effect and will still be enforced by the appropriate law enforcement agencies! The ITL vote by the Senate of HB162 in no way effects these existing limits and would only have placed a blanket speed limit on bodies of water not yet so regulated.

Unfortunately many people tend to skim newsprint stories and tend to pass over all but the first paragraph. A literal interpretation of the first paragraph of this particular story could give the false impression to many boaters that all speed limits on State waterways are null and void.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

I have notified Mr. Manning via e-mail of his mistake and hope that the Citizen posts an obvious correction to this error.

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