COLREGs are primarily designed to

• A. Prevent collisions between vessels.
• B. Regulate crew hours.
• C. Govern fishing quotas.
• D. Define port dues.

Answer: (A)

COLREGs are about preventing collisions by prescribing how vessels should behave in the common navigation scenarios they may encounter. They establish who should take action, what signals to use, and how to maneuver in situations like crossing, meeting, and overtaking, so that traffic flows in a predictable and safe way. That focus on coordinated navigation and collision avoidance is why preventing collisions is their primary purpose. Other topics like crew-hours regulation, fishing quotas, and port dues fall outside COLREGs and belong to labor standards, fisheries management, and port administration.