Sinking Story
Submitted by Al Diamon on Mon, 08/27/2007 - 1:27pm.
August 27, 2007
On August 17, in the aftermath of a fatal accident involving a powerful speedboat colliding with a smaller boat on Long Lake in Harrison, the Portland Press Herald ran a front page story about the need for legislation to control such mega-horsepower craft. It cited lakeside residents and local officials in claiming "Maine lakes have become loud and dangerous speedways," because the market for bigger, more powerful boats was growing.
The story by staff writer John Richardson didn't back up those claims with any statistics. For that, readers would have to wait for the August 27 edition of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel (the Press Herald's sister papers), which carried a story by reporter Joel Elliott examining the same issue, but reaching a far different conclusion.
Mostly because Elliott did more than collect a few anecdotes. He got some facts.
Based on figures from the state and federal governments, Elliott concluded the Long Lake accident was "an aberration, " and "recreational boaters face no more danger on inland waters in Maine than they did 10 years ago." The statistics show that since 2002, the total number of accidents and fatalities on the state's lakes and rivers has varied little. As for the alleged increase in "cigarette boats," the number registered in Maine has grown by less than 10 percent in the decade from 1996 to 2006.
Elliott also points out flaws in the state's system by showing that record keeping makes it difficult to determine if such boats now sport more powerful engines than they did in the past. And he notes that spotty enforcement of existing laws means many out-of-state power boats may be churning up Maine lakes without required permits.
Before agitated legislators, clutching copies of Richardson's Press Herald story, rush to pass new measures to deal with a problem that doesn't appear to exist, it might be worthwhile for them to read Elliott's piece. Then, perhaps, they'd be less inclined to pile on unneeded regulations and more likely to examine why the state isn't doing a better job of compiling information on engine horsepower, and why current statutes aren't being enforced.
As for the Portland paper, it should consider throttling back.
Al Diamon can be e-mailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net.
On August 17, in the aftermath of a fatal accident involving a powerful speedboat colliding with a smaller boat on Long Lake in Harrison, the Portland Press Herald ran a front page story about the need for legislation to control such mega-horsepower craft. It cited lakeside residents and local officials in claiming "Maine lakes have become loud and dangerous speedways," because the market for bigger, more powerful boats was growing.
The story by staff writer John Richardson didn't back up those claims with any statistics. For that, readers would have to wait for the August 27 edition of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel (the Press Herald's sister papers), which carried a story by reporter Joel Elliott examining the same issue, but reaching a far different conclusion.
Mostly because Elliott did more than collect a few anecdotes. He got some facts.
Based on figures from the state and federal governments, Elliott concluded the Long Lake accident was "an aberration, " and "recreational boaters face no more danger on inland waters in Maine than they did 10 years ago." The statistics show that since 2002, the total number of accidents and fatalities on the state's lakes and rivers has varied little. As for the alleged increase in "cigarette boats," the number registered in Maine has grown by less than 10 percent in the decade from 1996 to 2006.
Elliott also points out flaws in the state's system by showing that record keeping makes it difficult to determine if such boats now sport more powerful engines than they did in the past. And he notes that spotty enforcement of existing laws means many out-of-state power boats may be churning up Maine lakes without required permits.
Before agitated legislators, clutching copies of Richardson's Press Herald story, rush to pass new measures to deal with a problem that doesn't appear to exist, it might be worthwhile for them to read Elliott's piece. Then, perhaps, they'd be less inclined to pile on unneeded regulations and more likely to examine why the state isn't doing a better job of compiling information on engine horsepower, and why current statutes aren't being enforced.
As for the Portland paper, it should consider throttling back.
Al Diamon can be e-mailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net.
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