collision avoidance
Quick Summary
Collision avoidance is a critical aspect of navigation, focused on preventing collisions between vessels, whether at sea or in the air. As traffic increased, the emphasis shifted from simply finding a route to maintaining safe distances between craft moving at different speeds and directions.1
In maritime navigation, traditional "rules of the road" dictate actions, such as both ships turning right when meeting head-on. For aircraft, which move too quickly for visual avoidance alone, collision avoidance relies on systematic separation of flight paths and guidance from air traffic controllers. Modern techniques are based on collision-avoidance theory, which suggests that altering course in the opposite direction of the line of sight to another craft increases the miss distance.21
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
navigation…traffic expanded along established routes, collision avoidance became a concern. Emphasis shifted from finding the way to maintaining safe distances between craft moving in various directions at different speeds. Larger ships are easier to see but require more time to change speed or direction. When many ships are in a…
Read More…traffic expanded along established routes, collision avoidance became a concern. Emphasis shifted from finding the way to maintaining safe distances between craft moving in various directions at different speeds. Larger ships are easier to see but require more time to change speed or direction. When many ships are in a…
Read More- navigationOther aids to navigation
To reduce the risk of collision and to allow other ships to follow, a ship under way at night displayed running lights by which sailors on nearby vessels could judge its course and speed. The traditional colored lights, red to port (left) and green to starboard (right), were augmented on…
Read MoreTo reduce the risk of collision and to allow other ships to follow, a ship under way at night displayed running lights by which sailors on nearby vessels could judge its course and speed. The traditional colored lights, red to port (left) and green to starboard (right), were augmented on…
Read More - navigationCollision avoidance
The figure illustrates the calculation of an airplane’s true ground velocity. Similar techniques can be used to calculate the course an airplane must avoid to prevent collision with another aircraft. In the figure the wind is replaced by the course and speed of…
Read MoreThe figure illustrates the calculation of an airplane’s true ground velocity. Similar techniques can be used to calculate the course an airplane must avoid to prevent collision with another aircraft. In the figure the wind is replaced by the course and speed of…
Read More
