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Part B · Steering and sailing rules Section I · Conduct of vessels in any condition of visibility

COLREGS Rule 7 — Risk of Collision

(a) Every vessel shall use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions to determine if risk of collision exists. If there is any doubt such risk shall be deemed to exist.

(b) Proper use shall be made of radar equipment if fitted and operational, including long-range scanning to obtain early warning of risk of collision and radar plotting or equivalent systematic observation of detected objects.

(c) Assumptions shall not be made on the basis of scanty information, especially scanty radar information.

(d) In determining if risk of collision exists the following considerations shall be among those taken into account:

(i) Such risk shall be deemed to exist if the compass bearing of an approaching vessel does not appreciably change;

(ii) such risk may sometimes exist even when an appreciable bearing change is evident, particularly when approaching a very large vessel or a tow or when approaching a vessel at close range.

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All COLREGS Rules and Annexes

Part A · General

Part B · Steering and sailing rules

Part C · Lights and shapes

Part D · Sound and light signals

Part E · Exemptions

Part F · Verification of compliance

Annex I · Positioning and technical details of lights and shapes

Annex II · Additional signals for fishing vessels fishing in close proximity

Annex III · Technical details of sound signal appliances

Annex IV

COLREGS oral exam questions and answers — all 114 examiner-style questions on one page, Rule by Rule, as a drill you mark yourself.

Also free for seafarers

DG Exit Exam: MCQ PracticeDG exit-exam MCQ practiceMariners DigestBrief for seafarers, Tue–Sat

An independent study aid built by CryoSim from the text of the 1972 Collision Regulations as amended. It is not an IMO publication and is not endorsed by the IMO — for navigation and legal purposes, use the official text.