The factors affecting the ship collision damage have been attracting attention in order to reduce the impact of ship collision damage, enhance the safety of ship navigation and protect the water environment. The main influencing factors of the ship collision damage are reviewed from three aspects, including the impact of the bow, side structure of the collided ship and relative motion state of the two ships. The countermeasures and suggestions for reducing the ship collision damage are elaborated from three viewpoints including the optimization of the bow design, the strengthening of the side hull structure and the emergency operation, and the existing shortcomings are pointed out. Further research prospects for the ship collision damage are proposed, such as the coordination of the buffer bow, the crashworthiness enhancement and ship weight increase, and the interrelationship between the emergency operation and insufficient helmsman capabilities.