 | This articleis missing information about investigations and laws following ship collisions. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(September 2010) |
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Ship collision is a type ofmaritime incident, a violent encounter involving moving ships. While the standard definition of collision involves more than one moving ship, and an engagement between a ship and a motionless object is formally known as "allision", in practice the word "collision" is usually used to describe also the situation where a moving ship hits a stationary ship or a fixed object such as a bridge.[1]
Ship collisions are of particular importance in marine accidents. Some reasons for the latter are:
Assea lanes are getting more congested and ship speeds higher, there is a significant possibility that a ship may experience an important accident during her lifetime. Higher speeds may cause larger operational loads, likeslamming, or excessively severe loads, for example during a collision. Denser sea routes increase the probability of an accident—in particular a collision—involving ships or ships and shore or offshore structures.[citation needed]
Almost 27% of ship collisions occur near coasts and 22% at narrow channels.[2] This is usually due to disregarding best practices and regulations by navigation officers and masters. In addition, the IMO guidelines for voyage planning are not always followed. Violations are usually associated with not maintaining a safe speed, overtaking, or miscommunication with the pilot.[3]
Largewhales and species such assea turtles orwhale sharks often suffer lethal wounds from collisions with ships ("vessel strikes").[4][5][6] There are programs in development and implementation phases aimed at reducing vessel speed in critical waterways, both voluntarily and by regulation, which aim to protect endangered whales.[7]
Collisions between cetaceans and vessels – known as 'ship strikes' or 'vessel strikes' – are a significant cause of death and traumatic injury for cetaceans. And these accidents are likely to become more common in the future due to the increasing amount of traffic on our seas, and the increasing size and speed of today's ships.Tackling this threat to the world's cetaceans is hampered by the fact that under- or non-reporting of ship strikes is still the norm around the globe. ... Since its creation in 2009, more than 1,200 incidents have been registered [until 2014].
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