A MAJOR study of ship collisions which occurred between 1987 and 1991 has revealed that 70 per cent of them were caused by error of judgement, inadequate lookout, excessive speed or over-dependence on radar.
According to the study by the managers of the West of England, a P & I (Protection and Indemnity) Club, 97 per cent of all collisions involved general cargo ships, reefer ships, bulk carriers and oil tankers.
''Bulk carriers have had by far the worst record, where an 18 per cent entry has resulted in almost 30 per cent of the number of collisions,'' the study adds.
Vessels flying the Cypriot, Panamanian or Greek flags accounted for nearly half of the total, the study says, adding that crew and management standards were perceived as being the primary elements influencing this observation.
The report proposes that club members should fully utilise facilities such as bridge simulator and ship-handling courses which are provided by many nautical colleges to improve their standards.
It says a separate study of collision claims is also being carried out to determine whether watchman fatigue has been a contributory factor to the growing number of collisions.
The five-year research, which covered collisions involving all Class I P & I claims of US$100,000 and above (both paid and estimated), subjected them to detailed analysis.
