In 196 two papers by Captain Wylie on ‘Legal aspects of radar and collision’ were published in this Journal (18, 203, 402). Captain Wylie here reviews some of these cases, and other similar cases, in the light of the further information that might have been available on the bridge had the vessels concerned been equipped with modern automatic radar plotting equipment.

The object of this series is to examine the circumstances of a number of collisions, selected at random, to see whether the various encounters would have been likely to develop adversely had either or both ships been equipped with a fully automatic radar plotter (FARP). The argument could of course have been developed using various devised situations, but it was felt that a more convincing result would be achieved against a background of documented disasters. All the incidents chosen have been the subjects of Court Cases or Official Investigations; only in the Andrea Doria–Stockholm collision was there no conclusion, as the case was withdrawn from the New York District Court after the taking of evidence from the deck officers.