Rule text#
Source
(a)Nothing in these Rules shall exonerate any vessel, or the owner, master, or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to comply with these Rules or of the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case.
(b)In construing and complying with these Rules due regard shall be had to all dangers of navigation and collision and to any special circumstances, including the limitations of the vessels involved, which may make a departure from these Rules 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 — the section this text comes from, with its neighbours.
- The Inland Navigation Rules are codified at 33 CFR Part 83 and are public domain. The international COLREGs text is published separately by the IMO.
Practice this rule#
One real exam question on this rule, cited to source. No sign-up.
Rule 2 of the Inland Navigation Rules addresses which primary subject?
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