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The Risk Homeostasis Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 September 2010

Santiago Iglesias Baniela  and
Juan Vinagre Ríos
Santiago Iglesias Baniela*
Affiliation:
(Universidad de La Coruña, Spain)
Juan Vinagre Ríos
Affiliation:
(Vessel Surveyor)
*
(Email:sbaniela@udc.es)
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Abstract

Statistics and information from the maritime industry show that the continuous advances in the safety of navigation do not reduce the occurrence of shipping casualties. This controversial fact leads the authors to analyse the applicability of the risk homeostasis theory to maritime transportation. With the aim of investigating this matter 2,584 ship incidents, which took place during the years 2005 and 2006, have been recorded and examined. The same variables which the Paris MOU usually employs to identify substandard ships (flag, classification society, age, type and size) have been used in this research to establish their level of safety in an effort to determine the relationship between that level and the occurrence of maritime incidents in the world cargo carrying fleet with appropriate statistical methods.

Keywords

Paris MoURisk homeostasis theorySafety standardsShipping casualties
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Navigation , Volume 63 , Issue 4 , October 2010 , pp. 607 - 626
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Navigation 2010

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References

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