COLREGs · Rule 2
Responsibility
Last verified: 2026-05-16
TL;DR
The 'general prudential rule.' Nothing in the rules excuses a vessel, owner, or master from the consequences of neglect, and any rule may be departed from if necessary to avoid immediate danger.
Why it shows up on the exam
This is the rule that justifies departing from any other rule when collision is imminent.
Authoritative source
Source links checked against the current public rule corpus on 2026-05-16.
- 33 CFR §83.02— verbatim Inland Rule text (US Code of Federal Regulations)(retrieved 2026-05-16)
- International COLREGs Rule 2 verbatim text is published by the IMO. The Inland counterpart 33 CFR §83 chunk above mirrors the international wording almost verbatim.
Inland parallel
Inland Rule 2 — Responsibility →More from Part A — General
Related drills
- Rule 1 — Application
- Practise Rule 3 — General Definitions
Drill COLREGs Rule 2
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