Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 August 2006
Marine accidents have many causes but a recurring theme is poor watch-keepingoften caused by weak bridge management. Information overload is sometimes blamedfor accidents and attempts to reduce information overload may include electronicsystems which have been produced for integrating information from variouselectronic sources so that information is concentrated on fewer screens. Thisarticle explores some of the issues facing the designers of such systems. Whileacknowledgement is given to some of the technical problems, the articleconcentrates on those issues associated with the user of such systems, inparticular, domain knowledge, screen design and user control. Available MarineAccident Investigation Reports for 2004 are used to highlight that, in thatyear, only one passenger vessel incident was attributed in part to poor datafrom electronic aids. However, it is accepted that a much wider study of suchreports is needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn.