33 U.S.C. § 2014
Section 2014 · Head-on situation (Rule 14)
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 10 court decisions — leading case Marine Transport Lines, Inc. v. M/V Tako Invader (1994)
Most recently applied in 445 F. Supp. 2d 516 - Moore v. Matthews (August 2006)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Unless otherwise agreed, when two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision each shall alter her course to starboard so that each shall pass on the port side of the other.
Such a situation shall be deemed to exist when a vessel sees the other ahead or nearly ahead and by night she could see the masthead lights of the other in a line or nearly in a line or both sidelights and by day she observes the corresponding aspect of the other vessel.
When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether such a situation exists she shall assume that it does exist and act accordingly.
Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Rule, a power-driven vessel operating on the Great Lakes, Western Rivers, or waters specified by the Secretary, and proceeding downbound with a following current shall have the right-of-way over an upbound vessel, shall propose the manner of passage, and shall initiate the maneuvering signals prescribed by Rule 34(a)(i), as appropriate.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
References in Text
Rule 34(a)(i), referred to in par. (d), is classified to section 2034(a)(i) of this title.
Codification
Section was enacted as part of section 2 of Pub. L. 96–591 which enacted the Inland Navigational Rules which comprise this subchapter.
Amendments
1984—Par. (a). Pub. L. 98–557, §16(c)(1), substituted “Unless otherwise agreed, when” for “When”.
Par. (d). Pub. L. 98–557, §16(c)(2), added par. (d).