The matter in summary • Speed limits on the sea vary from municipality to municipality, which causes confusion among boaters.• Several boaters are advocating for better signage and a common national set of regulations for speed limits on the sea.• In 2022, a common national regulation describing speed restrictions came into being on the sea, but the individual municipality is responsible for adopting local regulations for their areas.• Boaters are obliged to familiarize themselves with the laws and regulations where they travel on an equal footing with car drivers.• There are various speed restrictions on the sea, depending on whether you drive a commercial vessel or a recreational vessel.• The Norwegian Coastal Administration, which is responsible for the regulations at sea, believes that the current system is better than a national regulation because Norway’s coast is varied and diverse. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I drove past the police boat, because they were stationary, and I also gave gas after the 5-knot sign, says boat driver Morten Schøyen. Then the police came after him. A few days ago, the boat owner received a speeding fine of NOK 1,500 here in Valle in Bamble municipality. He drove too fast within the 5-knot limit that applies 100 meters from land. Throughout the municipality. I think the signage is too bad 50 meters south, the speed limit is not the same along land. In the Telemark municipalities of Bamble and Kragerø, the rules are different. In Bamble (red), the speed limit is five knots close to land. In Kragerø (grey), they do not have the same regulations. Schøyen considered not paying the fine, since he could not see any sign with a new speed limit. – I think it was very unreasonable, and I must admit that I was quite close to not approving a simplified proposal. Because I think the signage here is downright misleading, he says. On the “Båtfart” app, you can update yourself on the speed limits where you are. The field along the coast of Bamble shows that 5 knots apply here up to 100 meters from shore. Across the municipal border in Kragerø, the same regulations do not exist. news has been contacted by several boat drivers who say that they feel disenfranchised at sea. They are reacting to outdated regulations that are difficult to understand and relate to. According to the police, in 2022 there was a common national regulation that describes speed restrictions on the sea so that it would be easier to familiarize yourself with which rules apply. In addition, the individual municipality is responsible for adopting local regulations for its areas. That is why there can be differences between the neighboring municipalities, as is the case in Kragerø and Bamble. – Boater’s responsibility – I can well understand that it can be difficult to find out what kind of rules apply, among other things, to speed on the sea, says police station chief Sigrid Dahl, acting head of the police in Telemark. The police chief says boat drivers have a duty to familiarize themselves with the laws and regulations where they travel on an equal footing with car drivers. Photo: Theodor Aasland Valen / news She says that it is important for the police to have a presence at the lake when activity there increases in the summer. But: – On the sea, as in traffic, it is up to the driver or boatman to familiarize himself well with the regulations and be considerate and careful so that no one is in danger or injured, she says. This applies to different speed restrictions on the sea, depending on whether you are operating a commercial vessel or a recreational vessel. Therefore, it is complicated to put up signs along the coast, according to the police. Want national regulations Back on the pier in Valle in Bamble, there are several people who are concerned about the regulations. Boat owner Carl Christian Skage explains that he has such a large boat that it does not go as slowly as 5 knots. – If you put both engines on this boat in gear, we are at 7 knots. And then, in theory, you have already broken the speed limit, he says. He believes people would have had more respect for speed limits at sea if they were easier to understand. Carl Christian Skage believes that people would have had more respect for the speed rules at sea if they were easier to understand. Photo: Theodor Aasland Valen / news He explains that he constantly tries to drive sensibly, but that the regulations are too difficult to get used to. Also because there are different rules in different municipalities. He advocates a national set of regulations. Believes the municipalities should decide. It is the Coastal Administration that is responsible for the regulations at sea. They believe that the current arrangement is better than a national regulation because Norway’s coast is varied and diverse. – The municipalities assess speed based on risk and local conditions, and that is what they know best, says director Einar Vik Arset. He says he understands that the regulations can be perceived as difficult to understand and asks people to follow the app “båtfart.” 5 knots is the sign along the shore in Valle in Telemark. Photo: Theodor Aasland Valen / news Published 14.07.2024, at 20.41
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Boaters demand better signage and national regulations – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
