Traffic Lanes and the Collision Regulations

Abstract

As a watch-keeping officer on ships daily crossing the North Sea and English Channel 1 was interested to read Commander Paton's paper on ‘Navigation in the English Channel and the Southern North Sea’ in the January 1978 issue of this Journal. Since the introduction of the traffic separation schemes many of us have been concerned about the possibility of an accident whilst crossing the lanes. It is an almost nightly experience to have ‘near misses’ and occasionally more than one ‘near collision’ inside the hour, with people who appear to think that, because they are in a traffic lane and going the right way, everyone else must keep clear of them. No attempt is made to avoid crossing vessels in accordance with the Collision Regulations and, in spite of flashing the warning five shorts and blowing five shorts on the whistle, we often have ships call us to demand we keep out of their way, contrary to all regulations, and frequently forcing us to take drastic evasive action.