Human factors influencing the ship operator's perceived risk in the last moment of collision encounter

More than 80% of marine accidents occur due to errors incurred by navigators. This study investigates the situation wherein a ship operator (SO) is embarrassed by the fear of collision in LMCE, thereby failing to perform prescribed collision-avoidance measures. Increased perceived collision risks (PCRs) due to beginner-SOs' fear of collision threatens navigation safety in LMCE scenarios. This study investigates the influences of on-board career (OC), license rating (LR), and the SO's age on PCR in LMCEs. To quantify the PCR, head-on and crossing situations were simulated. SO heart-rate variability was measured onboard his own ship when it approached the target ship at 10-kn speed until they collide within a distance of 2 nautical miles. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the SO's OC and LR negatively influenced the PCR; however, age had no effect on the PCR. The SOs with OCs <= 4 years had a higher PCR than those with OCs >= 5 years. SOs with LRs in the 4-6 class group had a higher PCR than those with LRs in the 2-3 class group.