There was a car accident where a drunk driver hit another car but the driver and child passenger in that vehicle were unharmed. Such scenarios don’t always have a similar outcome, but the required safety reinforcements have saved thousands of lives.
You don’t need steel beams in your car door — unless you’re hit. As everyone raised before 1985 can prove, you don’t need car seats for children to ride safely — unless there is a quick stop or impact.
Many systems and protocols are designed expecting mishaps, and measures are put in place to minimize the impact of things gone awry. Smoke alarms exist to avert injuries and reduce property damage only in case of a fire. Airplane oxygen masks are necessary only if there is a loss of cabin pressure. Checks and balances in an organization are needed to catch errors only if mistakes are made.
When things are going right, it’s the time to address prevention or mitigation tactics for when things go wrong.
