COLREGs-based collision risk awareness model is urgently needed in real-time operating conditions. However, this is a complicated problem under various encounter situations, some of which are very complex. In order to quantify the collision risk in real operating conditions, a novel risk-informed collision risk awareness approach is proposed for real-time operating conditions. Firstly, the ship's actions are identified based on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. Secondly, the uncertainty of ship action patterns is analyzed by regarding the target ships as velocity obstacles. Then, the collision risk model is utilized to assess the collision risk level based on the uncertainty in the non-linear velocity obstacles algorithm considering responsibility. Finally, some case studies are carried out based on the proposed model. In the model, the dynamic and uncertainty features of the ship action dynamics in real operating conditions are considered, which could benefit on reducing ship collision accidents and improving the development of technologies on intelligent collision avoidance decision makings. •A novel risk-informed collision risk awareness approach is proposed for real-time operating conditions.•An improved velocity obstacles method called Uncertainty Non-Linear Velocity Obstacles (UNLVO) is raised.•Ship motions are identified by different compression thresholds based on AIS data in real operating conditions.•The dynamic and uncertainty characteristics of ship motion patterns in real operating conditions are considered.