In a collision between two ARPA-equipped vessels, which statement best reflects typical fault assessment?

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In collisions, fault is assessed based on whether each vessel complied with the collision avoidance rules and took proper action to keep clear. When both vessels have ARPA, investigators use the data from automatic tracking to see who should have acted and when. If neither vessel takes appropriate or timely action to avoid the risk of collision, both can be found at fault. ARPA provides precise information about range, bearing, closing speed, and time to the closest point of approach, which often shows that both masters had an opportunity to avoid the situation but did not act decisively. That’s why the typical outcome is that both vessels are likely at fault. The idea that one vessel is always at fault doesn’t fit the evidence modern tools gather, and fault isn’t assigned randomly or eliminated simply because ARPA is used.