The way I see it there are only two ways to make cars safer:
Stop humans driving them. Computers don’t get lazy, bored or inattentive
Require seat belts and airbags for all passengers, but no seatbelt and and a high-tension electrified 30cm spike in the centre of the steering wheel for the driver. Now the driver doesn’t get lazy, bored or inattentive
Biologically we are evolved for a top speed of maybe 30 kph, and that’s how fast our brains work, a lot of driver training is spotting risks earlier so we have time to account for them. But the moment you take your attention drifts you lose the opportunity to respond.
Unfortunately, making cars safer, makes some drivers more reckless, it’s a sad but also demonstrably proven true part of human nature.
Driving is a risk. Sometimes, drivers lose control.
If you drive recklessly, the risk increases.
If you drive to completely eliminate risk, you will be an obstacle to others.
There was a bike path with people on it in the way. People died.
It is entirely possible to become the direct cause for a child’s death in traffic without having done anything wrong.
The court did not consider it proven that the driver in question drove recklessly.
But, won’t somebody PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN? Silly things like “innocent until proven guilty”, “in dubio pro reo”, or even the much more educated-sounding “shit happens” are not valid when a CHILD is involved.
I guess it’s as good a time as any to call for the re-introduction of the death penalty in the Netherlands.
I know there are a ton of differences and the comparison doesn’t show any one thing, but given that the US had over three times the traffic deaths per capita that the Netherlands had in 2013, (and Canada has almost double as well), I don’t think there is much reason for North Americans to look at Europe and say that we know what we are doing with our sentencing for traffic offenses - assuming, that is, that our goal is to have fewer people die and not just to have punishment theater.
We all know a harsher sentence wouldn’t have brought anyone back to life, but would it have been more effective at preventing similar problems in the future? What other problems would it have caused?
But I sure hope that the chair throwing man didn’t get in any kind of real trouble for chair throwing.
Most likely not. Few people will think about punishment awaiting them if they make a mistake during their common day to day activities. So here goes the deterrence.
