[mikeash]

Sure. I’m just saying that the actual history of the past few decades in the US shows a stark contrast with these two types of regulations in terms of how they worked and the consequences they had.

Regarding measures that appear to improve safety but are actually a net loss because it encourages driving instead, the FAA does evaluate regulations this way. For example, this is why infants aren’t required to be in a child seat and are allowed to just be held by a parent. They determined that this requirement would cause more families to drive due to the extra cost, and the result would be a net loss of life.