Study on collision avoidance in busy waterways by using AIS data

Due to high density of vessel traffic, busy waterways are water areas with high potential for collisions. The application of AIS makes it possible to investigate accurate and actual behavior of collision-involved ships, and benefits vessel traffic management and waterways design for these areas. As a case study, the authors focus on a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) off Rotterdam Port in Europe, and using AIS data, statistical analysis is made for collision involved ships. In order to identify the correlation of CPA, which is a key indicator for collision avoidance, with ship's size, speed, and course, linear regression models are developed. To assess risks, a dynamic method based on SAMSON is presented.