Legal Definitions - International Rules of the Road

The International Rules of the Road, formally known as the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), are a foundational set of international maritime laws designed to ensure safety and prevent collisions between vessels on the water. These rules establish standardized procedures and signals that all ships and boats must follow when operating in international waters and the waters of countries that have adopted them, such as the United States.

Adopted internationally in 1972, the COLREGS provide a universal framework for safe navigation. They cover various critical aspects of vessel operation, including:

• Specific lights vessels must display at night or in low visibility conditions.
• Day shapes vessels must display during daylight hours to indicate their status or activity.
• Detailed steering and sailing rules that dictate how vessels should maneuver when approaching each other to avoid a collision.
• Sound signals to be used in conditions of restricted visibility (like fog) or when maneuvering.
• Standardized distress signals to indicate an emergency.

By adhering to these rules, mariners worldwide can understand the intentions and status of other vessels, significantly reducing the risk of accidents.

Examples of the International Rules of the Road in Action:

• Navigating a Busy Shipping Lane at Night: Imagine a large container ship steaming through a busy shipping lane at night, and a smaller fishing trawler is operating nearby. The International Rules of the Road dictate the specific colored lights each vessel must display. For instance, the container ship will show masthead lights, sidelights, and a sternlight, while the fishing trawler will display lights indicating it is engaged in fishing. These rules ensure that each vessel can immediately understand the other's type, size, direction of travel, and activity, allowing them to take appropriate action to avoid a collision.

• Encountering Another Vessel in Dense Fog: Consider two sailboats, each equipped with an auxiliary engine, approaching each other in a dense fog bank where visibility is severely limited. According to the International Rules of the Road, both vessels are required to sound specific fog signals at regular intervals – for example, a power-driven vessel underway in fog must sound one prolonged blast every two minutes. These audible signals alert other vessels to their presence and approximate location, even when they cannot be seen, giving them time to react and prevent a potential collision.

• Determining Right-of-Way Between Vessels: Picture a recreational sailboat sailing across a bay, and a commercial tugboat pushing a barge is approaching from a different direction. The International Rules of the Road provide clear "rules of the road" for determining which vessel has the "right-of-way" (the stand-on vessel) and which must give way (the give-way vessel). For instance, a sailboat under sail generally has the right-of-way over a power-driven vessel, which means the tugboat would be legally obligated to alter its course or speed to keep clear of the sailboat. This prevents confusion and establishes a predictable order for safe passage, minimizing the likelihood of a collision.