The impact of safety factors on decision-making in maritime navigation

Abstract

Approximately 85% of maritime accidents are accounted for by navigation accidents, caused by human errors such as mistakes in impropriate decision-making. Decision-making skills are the key to safe sailing. However, the assessment of decisionmaking based on objective measurements is rarely studied. This paper aims to assess the impact of safety factors on decision-making in maritime navigation. Two different levels of complexity, each with a different number of safety factors, were designed for the experiment. NASA-TXL rating was used to evaluate the participants’ perceived workload and performance, while objective measures such as deviation from the planned route were used to analyze decision-making and performance. Results indicate that a higher workload and stress level are associated with more complex scenarios and safety factors and that safety is prioritized in decision-making under stress. The research can be used to improve decision-making skills in maritime training programs.