Although its achievement may prove long and difficult, it is surely time to think out the lines along which future traffic systems must inevitably be developed, for we are still largely without any real rationale as to what it is we are to achieve when traffic measures are introduced, whether with IMCO agreement or nationally. We have some of the right answers but have we yet asked the right questions?

Before we can evolve any realistic strategy there must be some consensus across several disciplines; disaster seems to show itself the only effective antidote to fixed ideas. Society is not likely to tolerate this approach indefinitely and a more acceptable mode of progress must begin now, before irrational forces take charge.

The dominant factor has hitherto been safety of navigation, though navigation concerns only the ship and not her cargo, with its contractual obligations and penalties. Yet the risk to society derives almost wholly from the nature of the cargo.

The laws concerning carriage of goods and contracts of affreightment – the province of the ship-operator and his litigation processes – can often be in direct conflict with the statutory requirements of governments relating to navigation and collision, whose theme is safety of life per se and is not concerned with efficiency. It would be reasonable to accept the proposition that the demands of society towards these problems should be solved by traffic-oriented rather than ship-oriented schemes.