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Old 05-11-2008, 05:17 AM   #49
Mashugana
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Arrow Let us pretend that Evenstar is 100% right on this point

If you want to use what you believe is a meaningless study to make your point I will be gracious and try see your pointt and respond to your conclusions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Evenstar View Post
The [MP speed survey] study is so flawed that, for all intents, the data collected is totally meaningless. I know how to do surveys correctly {snip}. Basically, according to research methodology standards, the Marine Patrol did nearly everything wrong, like informing the public that a study was being done.
{snip}
Here’s a more accurate analysis:
{snip}
So, based on [Evenstar's interpretation of] the study, approximately 539 boats were traveling at speeds over 50 mph last summer – just within just the study area. If the study area was equal to 25% of the lake (which I doubt), than that translates to 2156 boats that were traveling at speeds over 50 mph on the entire lake over those 11 weeks.

Isn’t it possible that some of those boats may have not seen a certain sea kayak until they were closer than 150 feet?
Yes ma'am it is absolutely possible that some of those boats many not have seen a certain kayak until they were closer than 150 feet. It does not mean that they did not see your kayak but it certainly is possible. You are right on that point. The possibility exists.

Your interpretation of the statistics has 2,156 boats actually going over 50 mph on the entire lake in all of 11 weeks. You did not say how long in minutes or hours they were presumed to be over 50 mph so I will ignore that omission for this post. How many of those 2,156 "speeding boats" were the cause of ANY kayak accidents on Lake Winnipesaukee? Still giving you the benefit of the doubt, if these violators (unsafe operation, 150' rule and maybe others) were going 45 mph instead of 50 mph would it have made any significant difference in their attentiveness? Probably not.

You will say that 45 mph instead of 50 mph would give the inattentive (and illegally operating) boaters more time to react to your presence. Maybe a fraction of a second or so. The main point from me is that these boaters are already violating the laws. If the MP aren't around to enforce those laws we already have that make those 150' violators behave how can you expect them to be there to enforce a new law that we do not need?

Again, I am accepting your interpretation of the statistics here simply for discussion purposes even though I may not believe your analysis of the data. You have not shown where that 5 mph difference would have prevented any of the kayak accidents that we never heard of or were unreported.
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