International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
lastmod 2026-06-23created 2026-03-274 edits
The official name is the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG), 1972, and it is commonly called the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
The 1972 Convention was created to update and replace the Collision Regulations adopted together with SOLAS in 1960.
The most important innovation of the 1972 Convention is Traffic Separation Schemes, and Rule 10 prescribes safe speed, risk of collision, and navigation procedures in and near Traffic Separation Schemes.
Traffic Separation Schemes were first established in the Strait of Dover in 1967 and initially operated on a voluntary basis, but in 1971 the IMO resolved that compliance with all Traffic Separation Schemes be mandatory, and COLREG made this obligation explicit.