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> that as incident rates decline, fatalities increase: This happens with helmets in combat and seatbelts in cars. Because small injuries go away, what's left
by WrtCdEvrydy 5y ago
> that as incident rates decline, fatalities increase:
This happens with helmets in combat and seatbelts in cars.
Because small injuries go away, what's left over is the stuff that really kills you (like a gunshot right through the helmet or a crash where a seatbelt couldn't save you because of the speeds involved)
- MaxBarraclough 5y agoThat doesn't explain why fatalities would increase.
- WrtCdEvrydy 5y agoBecause we feel safer and are able to push the boundaries. As cars got safer, people are more willing to push the boundaries of speed since they believe the airbags and automated braking systems will keep them safe.
- MaxBarraclough 5y agoIs this explanation based on a study, or just a guess?
- slownews45 5y agoThere was a study which showed people have an "acceptable" level of perceived risk. Your kids not buckled in the back and every time you take a corner hard your toddler rolls onto the floor? You drive more slowly. Your kid in a child seat, five point harness, bolsters near the head? Fly around those corners!
- bryanlarsen 5y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_compensation#Citations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_compensation#Citations
- Retric 5y agoExcept safety improvements actually reduced automobile fatalities dramatically over time. There are occasional edge cases, but safety equipment and procedures have made a huge difference over time. Just look at say the number of deaths from construction accidents over time. Five people died constructing the Empire State Building for example that wasn’t even a terrible record for the time period. At the extreme 30,609 people died building the Panama Canal.