ENVIRONMENT AGENCY TARGETS RIVER ARUN SPEEDERS

15/08/2005 - The Environment Agency is reminding boat users on the River Arun that they risk hefty fines if caught exceeding the speed limit. Officers will be out patrolling the river this weekend ensuring that the river is safe for everyone to enjoy.
Each summer, the Environment Agency patrols the River Arun with radar guns to catch speeding boats. Under the Land Drainage and Sea Defence bylaws, enforced by the Environment Agency, it is an offence to travel in excess of the given speed as boats doing so can cause damage to tidal defences.

The Environment Agency will be undertaking patrols as a reminder to boat handlers that there is a speed limit in force. The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted waterway speeders caught last year, with two individuals receiving fines of £1000 plus £95 costs. Speed limits are clearly sign posted on the River Arun and vary between five and a half knots and six and a half knots. The maximum speed recorded on patrols last year was 28 knots.

Environment Agency Sussex Area Flood Risk Manager, Andrew Gilham, said: "It is extremely irresponsible to exceed the speed limits in place on the River Arun. Not only can speeding boats put other boat users, fishermen and wildlife at risk, the wash created by speeding craft can also cause significant erosion damage to tidal defences which protect the lower Arun valley from major flooding.

"Although the vast majority of boaters respect the speed limits that are clearly sign posted, there is no excuse for anyone to exceed them."