What is the origin of the idiom "on a collision course" and when to use it?

The idiom "on a collision course" is thought to have originated in the early 1800s in the context of maritime navigation, but it quickly spread to other areas of life. The earliest known written record of the idiom "on a collision course" appears in an 1825 article in the London Times that describes two ships as being "on a collision course" if they are sailing towards each other on the same course. The idiom became more popular in the late 19th century with the rise of railways, where it was used to describe trains that were on the same track and heading towards each other. This expression is now used in a more figurative sense to describe any two or more people or things that are involved in a conflict or disaster.