Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Cost of Accidents
Yesterday, while driving south of College Station on Highway 6, I came across a large and horrible accident. There was a truck bent unnaturally, a car that had been completely crushed, an SUV that had been compacted into just a few feet. We all drove around it, trying not to look but unable to avert our eyes.
Whenever that happens, I remember my Dean, Guido Calebresi, talking about torts. His book, The Cost of Accidents, is a law & economics classic, and he was a wonderful teacher. He changed the way I thought about risk, and at least one of his lectures I can remember almost verbatim, including the responses to his question "Why don't we mandate totally safe cars?" They would have foam all around, go very slowly... but would never cost a life. Since that lecture, I have evaluated risk by starting at the endpoints, and been all the better for it.
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THat sounds like Stephen Covey's Seven Habits HABIT NUMBER TWO: "Begin with the End in Mind."
I know this because when I worked for that one guy & The Nerds I had to practically memorize them.
I will tell you exactly what Covey would say about this. I can do that because I still have my stupid Franklin Planner with the Mandatory COVEY pages in it...
"Planning is the active component of beginning with the end in mind It is the first creation in your mind before physical creation. A goal is the end point, and the plan explains how to get there. To be certain you can achieve your goals, break them down into manageable tasks with realistic deadlines. The goal inspires you, but the deadline motivates you."
SO I guess you have done the first step, thinking of the foam car... and then now all you have to do is call the government and tell them to make the car companies put foam on the cars...
Seriously I hate driving by accidents. They are so very frightening, and can happen to anyone. They are so random and heartbreaking and terrible.
I know this because when I worked for that one guy & The Nerds I had to practically memorize them.
I will tell you exactly what Covey would say about this. I can do that because I still have my stupid Franklin Planner with the Mandatory COVEY pages in it...
"Planning is the active component of beginning with the end in mind It is the first creation in your mind before physical creation. A goal is the end point, and the plan explains how to get there. To be certain you can achieve your goals, break them down into manageable tasks with realistic deadlines. The goal inspires you, but the deadline motivates you."
SO I guess you have done the first step, thinking of the foam car... and then now all you have to do is call the government and tell them to make the car companies put foam on the cars...
Seriously I hate driving by accidents. They are so very frightening, and can happen to anyone. They are so random and heartbreaking and terrible.
Aren't you glad I found your blog, Osler? Don't you just look forward to these deep insights I provide to you? How did you ever get through life before all my wisdom?
HAHAHAHAHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHAH
Our Torts prof. had a similar example involving a back hoe and other pieces of construction equipment.
What about rodeos? Or football? They're both pretty unsafe.
What about rodeos? Or football? They're both pretty unsafe.
# posted by 
: 3:49 PM
: 3:49 PM
Yet Americans litigate as if we wanted no risk at all! And hey, I was a paralegal at a plaintiff's firm that did asbestos-disease litigation. I have nothing against a well-founded lawsuit--against a doctor or a company or an individual who has genuinely done something wrong or something highly questionable--but it seems to me we often make up for our acceptance of some risks by filing lawsuits and being ready to assign blame. More than in many other countries.
It's easier for me to see this after having lived in India for three years, where driving is controlled chaos and people routinely ride motorbikes without helmets, and pack 20 people in a tiny jeep, and ride dodgy buses driven by a guy who's high or half asleep with 3 of his buddies crowded next to him on the seat. I've done the latter two things. Maybe that was stupid of me, but that's how the majority of people live.
Not that that makes me any better than anyone. But it was really eye-opening, and made me think of risk in a different way. I guess the Indians have the ends in mind, to a great degree.
It's easier for me to see this after having lived in India for three years, where driving is controlled chaos and people routinely ride motorbikes without helmets, and pack 20 people in a tiny jeep, and ride dodgy buses driven by a guy who's high or half asleep with 3 of his buddies crowded next to him on the seat. I've done the latter two things. Maybe that was stupid of me, but that's how the majority of people live.
Not that that makes me any better than anyone. But it was really eye-opening, and made me think of risk in a different way. I guess the Indians have the ends in mind, to a great degree.
# posted by : 4:16 PM
: 4:16 PM
We are not having a very good month here in B/CS.
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