In 1912, the Titanic, the largest passenger ship at the time and believed to be unsinkable, sank on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic, killing more than 1,500 of the approximately 2,200 people on board.
The Titanic Sinking and Oceanic Legal Issues
The sinking of the Titanic spurred the creation of the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Adopted in 1914, the SOLAS framework still exists today and replaces a patchwork of regulations with a global maritime safety standard, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) website.
Titan Submarine
According to CBC, after the Titanic sank, strict rules were put in place for monitoring radio signals on board, requiring the crew to remain on board at all times. Lifeboat safety drills were made mandatory. Patrols were also conducted more frequently and more rigorously, providing early warning of icebergs in the North Atlantic.
In addition, the regulations on the shipowner's liability for compensation were also clarified. In 1912, the White Star Line, the owner of the Titanic, only paid compensation equivalent to the value of the intact parts of the ship, regardless of how many people died in the incident. Therefore, Titanic survivors or victims' families only received payments based on the value of the Titanic lifeboat, because the rest of the ship had sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
Lessons learned from the Titan submersible
The explosion of the Titan submersible while exploring the wreck of the Titanic this week killed all five people on board. Experts say the accident could prompt new rules governing luxury tourism, as the Titan submersible operates outside the regulations put in place after the Titanic disaster, according to CNN.
US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger at a press conference updating the search for the Titan submersible on June 22.
Titan's operator, OceanGate Expeditions, said in 2019 that its submersibles were safe. But the innovations built into the vessel far exceeded the capabilities of the regulatory agencies that certified them.
Sal Mercogliano, a professor at Campbell University (USA) and a maritime historian, agrees. According to him, Titan travels in international waters so it is not under the management of any country, and there are no global regulations that can regulate the ship's operations.
Therefore, according to CNN, there needs to be a higher safety threshold for passengers paying to ride submersibles and a major adjustment in international rules, because the rapid development of technology is outpacing existing regulations.
Danish explorer Per Wimmer believes that the Titanic incident more than 100 years ago changed regulations, and that the Titan could very well be the catalyst for more regulations in the field of submersibles.
James Cameron, director of the 1997 blockbuster "Titanic", who has dived 33 times to the Titanic wreck, said he sees a connection between the two disasters 111 years apart, that both ships operated despite limited visibility and repeated safety warnings.
Any vehicle needs to be certified by the government for safety, he said, and he also pushed for protections for people inside the submersible, similar to those that are required for basic everyday activities like riding in an elevator.
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