A COLREGs-Compliant Decision Support Tool to Prevent Collisions at Sea

Groundings and collisions still represent the highest percentage of marine accidents despite the current attention on Maritime Education and Training and the improvement of sensor capability. Most of the time, a collision is caused by a human error with consequences ranging from moderate to severe, with a substantial impact on both environment and life safeguarded at sea. In this paper, a brief statistical data regarding human element as a root cause of marine incidents together with collision regulations misunderstanding is presented as a background chapter. Furthermore, the present work discusses a decision support system architecture to suggest an appropriate action when the risk of a potential collision is detected. The proposed architecture system is based on various modules integrated with proper sensor input data regarding the surrounding navigation area. As a result, the tool can support the Officers of Watch in the decision-making process providing an early suggestion in compliance with the COLlision REGulations. The proposed system is intended to be used onboard independently from the degree of automation of the ship, and it is based on AIS, which is mandatory, making it widely applicable. The proper use of the system can considerably reduce the number of collisions, as demonstrated by the obtained results.

Automated summary

Despite the focus on Maritime Education and Training and improved sensor capability, groundings and collisions still account for the highest percentage of marine accidents. Most collisions are caused by human error, leading to moderate to severe consequences for the environment and maritime safety. This study presents statistical data on the human element as a root cause of marine incidents and the misunderstanding of collision regulations. A decision support system architecture is also proposed, which uses proper sensor input data to detect potential collision risks and provide appropriate action suggestions. The system, based on AIS and intended for onboard use independent of ship automation, has been shown to significantly reduce the number of collisions.