New research from ShipIn Systems PBC and NorthStandard shows that maritime risks are not only concentrated among a small group of vessels but can also be identified through measurable operational patterns. This allows marine and coastal teams to act sooner and focus their attention on vulnerable points.
Unequal Distribution of Maritime Risks
According to the "Maritime Risk Report 2026," which combines loss data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence SeaSearcher with operational analyses from ShipIn’s FleetVision™ platform, 29% of vessels account for nearly 70% of reported incidents. These findings challenge uniform approaches to fleet safety and indicate a more targeted model: identifying risk hotspots and directing attention to those areas.
Measurable Risk Indicators
Risk indicators are measurable. Vessels with a FleetVision score below 75 have recorded incident rates 5.7 times higher than vessels with scores above 85. Poor-performing vessels have also shown more frequent deviations in bridge operations, deck safety, anchoring activities, and personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance. This indicates that everyday operational patterns can provide early signals of high incident risks.
Preventive Measures for Fleet Managers
The results of this research tell fleet managers that if risks are concentrated, safety attention should also be focused. Continuous operational insights allow fleets to identify which vessels need support and concentrate on recurring behaviors. This report also shows that these patterns can change; in a separate group of 250 vessels monitored continuously for 12 months, average operational deviations decreased from about 230 per vessel per month to eight, indicating a 96% reduction.
These findings point to a more proactive model for maritime safety: observing where risk is forming, addressing issues before they become incidents, and adopting safer operational practices across the fleet.
