Coast Guard gives thumbs down to Voyage Data Recorders on U.S. ferries
The Coast Guard determined that VDRs and less-capable versions known as Simplified Voyage Data Recorders (S-VDRs) would increase costs for ferry operators (and thus push up passenger and vehicle prices.) However, VDRs would not provide information about accidents and safety incidents that was as useful or easy to access as data provided by two other available technologies: Electronic Chart Systems (ECS), a computer-based navigation information system, and the Automatic Identification System (AIS), a shipboard broadcasting system.
"The VDR presents a cost burden to the ferry owners without providing additional benefits to the safe navigation of the vessel," concluded the Coast Guard’s report to Congress, which was submitted on Capitol Hill last October, but only made public on March 26.
"New technologies such as ECS and AIS, along with recording the bridge audio, would provide the same data or more than the VDR but with the added benefit of being an interactive tool that aids the mariner in both situational awareness and in the safe navigation of his vessel," the report added.
Congress asked the Coast Guard to study the use of VDRs on ferries weighing more than 100 gross tons that carry more than 399 passengers between two points not more than 300 miles apart. As part of its assessment, the Coast Guard identified 75 ferries that would be required to carry a VDR under those circumstances, of which 11 already carry the devices because they operate in international waters between the U.S. and Canada.
The 64 ferries not currently carrying VDRs performed more than 49 million passenger trips during 2004. All 75 ferries documented 691 incidents involving electrical faults, steering gear problems, staff injuries, passenger injuries, main engine faults, collisions, and others. A VDR would have provided relevant information to an accident investigation in only six percent of these incidents, the Coast Guard determined.
A VDR provides navigational data, such as bridge audio, date, time, and ship’s position from a Global Positioning System, and speed data, but its usefulness occurs only after-the-fact. "VDR technology is several years old and, although not obsolete, the VDR only provides information for the investigator to use in reconstructing the incident scenario," explained the report.
Placing and maintaining VDRs on the designated ferries for 10 years would cost a total of $13.4 million, or about $1.9 million annually. Using the "Simplified" VDRs instead would cost $3.1 million over the 10-year period, which would translate into annual costs of $400,000, the Coast Guard calculated.
These added expenses might increase the cost per vehicle per year between a low of six cents for the Washington State Ferries and $1.04 for the State of Alaska.
In its report to Congress, the Coast Guard recommended against the use of VDRs on the designated ferries and instead called for a review of Electronic Chart Systems and Automatic Identification Systems for such purposes.
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