Voyage data recorders (VDRs) are a waste of money and there are better ways of recording and using voyage data, believes the US Coast Guard (see p30). Its conclusion, in a report submitted to Congress in March, will cause unnecessary turmoil across the industry and among legislators.Those findings could be dismissed by arguing that the USCG's brief was to look at specific ferry operations that fall outside SOLAS rules and to advise whether they should be required to fit VDRs or S-VDRs. On that basis, the report has no wider significance.
展开▼
