The prediction of ship groundings: A review

Abstract

Ship grounding is one of the most common and devastating maritime accidents. This article aims to present a retrospective review of models used to estimate the frequency of such incidents. Given the increasing growth of maritime traffic, this is the type of maritime accident that today’s modern science should better address and present modern solutions to minimize such accidents. Numerous grounding risk assessment models have been developed throughout the history of maritime research, contributing significantly to the reduction of ship grounding incidents. However, while research and related models on this topic are abundant, they are often unstructured and fragmented, lacking detailed and comprehensive analysis necessary to clearly identify key shortcomings and areas for improvement. A thorough search of relevant databases was conducted to better capture academic articles and general publications addressing the estimation of ship grounding frequency. Using the bibliographic mapping capabilities of the VOSviewer software, the study identified research clusters related to grounding issues. The inclusion of bibliometric analysis enhances this article by providing a comprehensive overview of the literature and highlighting the researchers who have made the most significant contributions to the development of ship grounding assessment models—thus laying the groundwork for future advancements.