Houston maritime accident injury attorneys respond that a maritime VTS, or vessel traffic service, is a marine traffic monitoring system. The system is established by the local harbor or port authority and it’s similar in nature to an air traffic control system. VTS systems use closed circuit TV, radar, VHF radiotelephony, and an automatic identification system to track vessel movements and enhance local navigational safety. The main purpose of a VTS system is to prevent collisions and accidents in the covered area.

The SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 12 and the Guidelines for Vessel Traffic Services of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Resolution A857(20) govern the operations of a VTS system. Current VTS systems integrate collected data through a single systems operator environment much like an air traffic control room in order to permit effective communication to and organization of maritime traffic.

Areas covered by VTS require vessels to follow specific procedures to ensure maritime traffic safety and to help prevent accidents. Area Procedures, Arrival and Departure Reports, and Pilotage and Approach Procedures are among the requirements vessels must follow in a VTS-governed area.

The Houston maritime accident injury attorneys at Denena & Points note that a VTS system should always have a comprehensive traffic image where all factors influencing maritime traffic, information about all participating vessels, and specifics regarding the vessels’ intentions are collected. Situations that are developing are evaluated and responded to using this comprehensive traffic image.

In the Houston Ship Channel, the Houston area VTS Center sits amid the upper reaches of the Houston Ship Channel within the city of Houston. The VTS operating area is the Houston Ship Channel from the sea buoy to the Turning Basin, a distance of 53 miles, and the side channels to Galveston, Texas City, Bayport, and the U.S. Intracoastal Waterway. The Houston Ship Channel VTS area contains around 70 miles of restricted waterways.

Learn more about the value of maritime VTS systems in avoiding accidents and injuries in this article by our Houston maritime accident injury attorneys at Denena & Points.