Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 November 2009
In a series of three papers Dr Lewison has described the progressive results of a line of research which may have important applications in the consideration of routing schemes. The first paper described a mathematical model which can predict the number of encounters that would occur between ships of different traffic streams in the absence of avoidance manœuvres. In the second paper the number of potential encounters was calculated from estimates of traffic flow, in a particular area of the Dover Strait, then compared with the number of actual collisions to determine the risk of a ship encounter leading to a collision. The third paper updated these results for the Dover Strait and suggested how estimates of collision risk could be made for other UK coastal areas.