Mon, 18 Jul, 2016 12:08:18 AM Reckless speeding recorded on Helsinki coast FTimes – STT Report, Jul 18 A boat driver in water. File Photo Lehtikuva. The number of drivers caught by the authorities for drunken boating has grown significantly in recent times, reported the Finnish language newspaper Savon Sanomat.
According to the newspaper, the police, border guards and Customs have stopped as many as 125 boaters on suspicion of drunken boating in the first six months of this year.
The number is 35 per cent higher from that in the same period of last year.
The newspaper emphasised that the figures also reflect how much the police monitor the waters as well as how many boats are on the water.
In some places, the authorities have also stopped more boaters than usual for not wearing lifejackets.
“For example, in Eastern Finland, we’ve fined and punished almost the same number of boaters [for lifejacket offences] as we did in the whole of last summer,” said Eastern Finland Traffic Police Chief Inspector Petri Pahkin.
Police patrol in water. File Photo Lehtikuva. Meanwhile, reckless speeding was recorded on the coast of Helsinki on Saturday, said the Coast Guard.
The most striking speeding was seen in Helsinki’s eastern archipelago, where two jet skis were driving 80 km/h in a 10 km/h zone.
“These cases are very dangerous, as a jet ski is small in size and its approach or momentum may be difficult to observe from a boat,” said Lieutenant Commander Aki Salomaa of the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard.
According to Salomaa, at 80 km/h, an accident is fatal for a jet ski driver. The speeding cases on Saturday have been transferred to the police for investigation.
The jet ski drivers are suspected of causing traffic hazard.
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