The Rules of the Road at Sea

(International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972, “COLREGS”)

The 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea went into force on 15 July 1977. It has since been amended in 1981, 1987, 1989, 1993 and 2001.
A Swedish translation is available in SJÖFS 1989:15 and amendments in SJÖFS 1991:4, 1995:12 and 2003:13.
 
According to the Maritime Traffic Ordinance (1986:300), COLREGS shall be applied to maritime traffic inside Swedish territorial waters and the Swedish economic zone. The regulations also apply to traffic with Swedish vessels outside Swedish territorial waters and economic zone if they do not conflict with applicable laws in a foreign state.

Based on the Maritime Traffic Ordinance, the Swedish Maritime Administration has issued special exceptions and additions to COLREGS in the Statutes of the Swedish Maritime Administration, SJÖFS 1994:21.

The publication “Maritime Traffic Regulations, etc.” includes the regulations mentioned above collected ito three divisions, A, B and C. Explanatory references and comments on the regulations are included.