| Topic: | Re:Rower fatalities | |
| Posted by: | Yola Dragon | |
| Date/Time: | 15/03/10 09:15:00 |
| While thankfully it is the case that there have not been recent deaths of rowers on the Thames due to collision there have been many cases of swamping some of which have resulted in severe hypothermia. Since many of these events go unreported the available statistics do not fully represent the risks, this website http://www.leoblockley.org.uk/accident.asp does however give an indication of the level of risk that we as rowers face and the tidal Thames is, from the data, clearly hazardous for rowers. The danger is not just collision but also swamping by wash and both risks would be increased by increased freight operations above Wandsworth. I am not against freight on the Thames, indeed I am all for it but I am also in favour of realism and the reality is that navigation on the upper Thames is now leisure dominated and there is no realistic prospect of a return to significant freight operations there. We cannot turn the clock back 100 years to reproduce the transport economics of a different age; frankly the country cannot afford the subsidies that this would entail. Finally it is worth noting that no freight operator objected to the proposed moorings on the river Brent which they surely would have done if they felt the proposal adversely affected their existing or proposed freight operations. The main objections were all from houseboat owners such as yourself; it is ironic that Thames houseboats are a major nuisance to freight operators on account of their sensitivity to and complaints about wash. |