What is a safe speed to drive at night?

What do you think is a safe speed to drive at night? Whose at fault here?
Last year a sheriff deputy admittedly said he was driving his speedboat 45-50 mph at night on clear lake and hit a sail boat that was floating. Supposedly he knew there were sailboats on the lake. A passenger was killed on the sailboat.
First they took the cops BAC 24 hours after the accident but later the records were miraculously amended to say it was the same day. (ya right)
Now the operator of the sail boat had a BAC over 1.2 but is being prosecuted by the lake county DA for manslaughter because he didn't have his running lights on. Witnesses dispute this fact.
The deputy is NOT being prosecuted for contributing to the crash for driving an unsafe speed.
WTF? Is this a bunch of shiat or what?
BTW clear lake does not have a speed limit at night like most lakes do.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sec...eam&id=5569012

I grew up on that Lake and still hang out there alot. It used to happen about once or twice a year that a fast boat would run someone over in the middle of the lake. It's extremely smooth at night and it's hard to go slow. Then you figure everyone that runs at night just went to dinner and drinks at one of the many restaurant and bars on the lake. The thing is that since it's so shallow alot of people anchor out in the middle especially in the lakeport area. No light's, lanterns or anything. The police have no law saying how fast you can go so they leave you alone. I had a friend in high school that was out in a pontoon boat and a local guy ran there boat over with this really bad ass V-Drive. Well it killed her and you can imagine how bad that looked. It's the same old addage add the liquor a steering wheel and a gas peddle someone will get hurt no matter if there's laws or not. :idea:
GH

Well, if the sailboat didn't have his lights on then the Deputy is not in the wrong at all. Maybe he was going a little fast but with no posted speed limit he was doing nothing illegal. You also never know what really happened because the media love to prey on the police. Even if he was going 30mph it could have been just as bad and I don't believe that the Deputy should be prosecuted for someone else's ignorance. Now if the lights were indeed on then yes, the Deputy shouyld be punished. Just my $.02

The lack of a posted speed limit begs the question... how fast is safe at night? The state law actually says that you can only go as fast as it is safe to do so.
They are going to find out what is a safe speed at night because a civil lawsuit has been filed.
IMHO a safe speed would take into consideration how far you can see and therefore react to obstacles (lights or not). At night since you can't see more than a few feet under the best circumstances I would say a safespeed is 5-10 mph.
BTW the deputy admitted that he was going 45 mph. Also its not disputed that the cabin lights were on in the sailboat. But the running lights are being disputed. Several impartial witnesses say the running lights were on. Who knows?
IMO Lights or no lights 45 mph is way too fast for night time. stationary objects like islands and sandbars don't have marker lights.

Its a speed at which you can safely maneuver to avoid a obsitcal based on the vizablity.
Rull of thumb is just over planing speed. ( unless you can see shit, then its just fast enough to maintain steering.)

When I raced off-road and drove truck and boats, cars and almost anything I could get into. The safest rule is never outdrive you're lights or distance of vision. On a full moon night and clear water tough to want to go to slow, No moon, dark night calls for a different thought.

The problem I have is that the patrol boat is usually crusing along at 35 or so at night just checking beaches and what not. I would say that when the light comes on at the top of Mount Konocti most people slow way down and just cruise. I just sold my house on the lake up there but on the weekends there was always a lot of night traffic. It's amazing how many people can see in the dark.

LOL :D ;)
. It's amazing how many people can see in the dark.

If I go out at night it’s because I’m not in a hurry and I will just cruise at a no wake speed.
We used to take the houseboat on Lake Shasta out at night for a midnight cruise and it was a lot of fun for everyone.

If I go out at night it’s because I’m not in a hurry and I will just cruise at a no wake speed.
We used to take the houseboat on Lake Shasta out at night for a midnight cruise and it was a lot of fun for everyone.