Risk of Maritime Traffic in Coastal Waters

This paper addresses the broad aspects of safety of maritime transportation from the identification to the management of risks related particularly to the maritime traffic in coastal waters. A brief overview of present-day maritime accident statistics are presented and the methodologies that have been adopted in the maritime sector to analyze ship accidents are reviewed. The paper also reviews the models and tools that have been used for simulation of ship navigation and for accident probability prediction based on Automatic Identification System (AIS) data and the analysis and modelling of the influence of human and organisational factors on ship accidents. The development of maritime risk models based on Bayesian Networks and the various elements that influence an effective response to maritime accidents are also addressed.