本条款决不扩展至根据法定权力机构要求清除障碍或由于触碰海港、码头、桥墩、脚手架或其他类似建筑物产生的损害，或有关货物或保险船舶的约定或人身伤亡，被保险人可能负有或应当支付的任何金额”
最初的1888年协会条款的措词和基本特征，反映在后来的各种版本中，直至1983年颁布的协会船舶定期保险条款。
1890年又增加了一项重要内容，这是由前一年的The Balnacraig案 判决引起的。在一个双方均有责任的碰撞中，Balnacraig轮遭受了较大损失。根据The Khedive一案 判决，最终确立的可确实适用于碰撞船东之间的海事单一责任原则(principle of single liability)，另一艘船舶应将净余额支付给Balnacraig轮船东。当被保险人Balnacraig轮船东试图从其保险商处获得补偿时，法院认为由于他们实际上没有支付给另一艘船任何的赔偿（因为她自己的赔偿部分已经抵销），根据船舶碰撞条款就不能获得任何补偿。这与伦敦保险市场以前所遵循的基于“交叉责任(cross liabilities)”确定保险商责任的惯例正相反，有关“交叉责任”将在后面详论 。“交叉责任” 虽不总是，但经常更有利于被保险人。一般条款假设百分百的补偿，被保险人将可能在他船对他自已的（如：被保险人的）滞期费赔偿要求的范围内获利。这种情况下（与Xenos v. Fox案不同 ），保险人还没等上诉结果出来，立即于1890年通过增加下述条款，作了有利于被保险人的修订：
“但当两艘船互有责任时，除非一方或双方船东的责任依法受到限制，根据这一条款的索赔请求，将按交叉责任原则解决，好像每一艘船的船东强制性地向他船船东支付其损失的一半或其他所允许的比例，以确定被保险人由此碰撞而需支付或获得的赔偿余额。”
1894年《商船法》颁布后，促使保险人在 “在船舶责任尚有争议情况下”(and in case in which the liability of the ship has been contested)后面，增加了“或已提起诉讼以便限制责任”(or proceedings have been taken to limit liability)措词。除了1918年和1952年 一些小的技术性和修饰性的修改，船舶碰撞条款按这种格式持续了近一个世纪，直至1983年颁布伦敦协会碰撞责任条款。其措词要比相当难理解的船舶碰撞条款的措词简明、清晰。而源于历史上先行者和早期备受推崇的判例的基本特点则大体保持一致。
在介绍现行的碰撞责任条款之前，也许有必要停止在19世纪上半叶困挠人们的对船东自己或其雇员、代理人的疏忽产生的责任进行保险是否合法或合适的怀疑。船东和保险人方面的这种潜在的不确定疑虑已随着明确这一问题的1906年《海上
保险法》的颁布而被驱散。依据《海上
保险法》第
3条第2款C项的特别规定，能够保险的海上风险有：
“Any liability to a third party may be incurred by the owner of , or other person interested in or responsible for, insurable property, by reason of maritime perils”.
“保险财产的所有人或其他对其有利益或有责任的当事人由于海上风险的原因对第三方产生的任何责任。”
在《海上
保险法》第
74条“对第三方责任”的标题下规定：
“Where the assured has effected an insurance in express terms against any liability to a third party, the measure of indemnify, subject to any express provision in the policy, is the amount paid or payable by him to such third party in respect of such liability”.
“被保险人已通过明示条款对第三方的任何责任进行投保，根据保险单上明示条款的规定，获得补偿的数额是其就这一责任向第三方支付或应支付的数额。”
如果需要权威论点的话，这些法定条款对今天的包括碰撞责任在内的第三方责任保险便是权威。
协会碰撞责任条款(Institute Collision Liability Clause)
若未考查其历史，碰撞责任条款似乎是一个相当混杂的条款，让我们回到条款本身，即1983年10月1日协会船舶定期保险条款第8条。虽然其基本特点保持未变，该条款的格式要比船舶碰撞条款清晰和简单的多，保险人不想修改或改变原先船舶碰撞条款的适用范围和含义。四分之三（赔偿责任）的碰撞责任条款全文如下：
8.1 The underwriters agree to indemnify the Assured for three-fourths of any sum or sums paid by the Assured to any other person or persons by reason of the Assured becoming legally liable by way of damages for
8.1.1 loss of or damage to any other vessel or property on any other vessel
8.1.2 delay to or loss of use of any such other vessel or property thereon
8.1.3 general average of, salvage of , or salvage under contract of, any such other vessel or property thereon,
where such payment by the Assured is in consequence of the Vessel hereby insured coming into collision with any other vessel.
8.2 The indemnity provided by this Clause 8 shall be in addition to the indemnity provided by the other terms and conditions of this insurance and shall be subject to the following provisions:
8.2.1 Where the insured Vessel is in collision with another vessel and both vessels are to blame, then, unless the liability of one or both vessels becomes limited by law, the indemnity under this Clause 8 shall be calculated on the principle of cross-liabilities as if the respective Owners had been compelled to pay to each other such proportion of each other’s damages as may have been properly allowed in ascertaining the balance or sum payable by or to the Assured in consequence of the collision.
8.2.2 In no case shall the Underwriters’ total liability under Clauses 8.1 and 8.2 exceed their proportionate part of three-fourths of the insured value of the Vessel hereby insured in respect of any one collision.
8.3 The Underwriters will also pay three-fourths of the legal costs incurred by the Assured or which the Assured may be compelled to pay in contesting liability or taking proceedings to limit liability, with the prior written consent of the Underwriters.
8.4 Provided always that this Clause 8 shall in no case extend to any sum which the Assured shall pay or in respect of
8.4.1 removal or disposal of obstructions, wrecks, cargoes or any other thing whatsoever
8.4.2 any real or personal property or thing whatsoever except other vessels or property on other vessels.
8.4.3 the cargo or other property on, or the engagements of, the insured Vessel
8.4.4 loss of life, personal injury or illness
8.4.5 pollution or contamination of any real or personal property or thing whatsoever (except other vessels with which the insured Vessel is in collision or property on such other vessels).”
