IHS Maritime casualty data records 613 oil tanker incidents involving vessels of more than 10,000 dwt over the past decade, of which only 13 incidents (2.1%) were of sufficient severity to result in the total loss of the vessel.
The overall incident numbers recorded suggest the tanker sector has a better safety record than other ship types such as bulk carriers or container vessels, perhaps due to the sector's enhanced focus on accident avoidance.
The overall trend shows a marked decline after peaking at 82 incidents in 2007, with just 24 incidents in 2013, according to IHS Maritime data.