[michaelcampbell]

> Seems like a simple life/cost estimation exercise.

All safety mechanisms are this. The tricky bit is the value of life calculus. Is it worth an added $10/year tax for every taxpayer to MAYBE save 1 life per 5 years? You'll get different responses for different reasons.

That $10 may be a rounding error for many, but to some its the difference of a week of lunches for their kid or not, and they vote, too.

[bobthepanda]

With trains the cost/benefit is greater than just stopping the crash from taking a life. Train/car collisions are messy and require fixing the infrastructure that has been disrupted (a collision/derailment will most likely screw up the tracks and any equipment in the way); and the train line will be out of service for the better part of a day, at least.

[AlexandrB]

Just for completeness $10/year from every taxpayer is $1.43B/year from one billionaire. So the problem of $10 being unaffordable to some is easily handled.

[michaelcampbell]

Asking someone else to pay is always easy for those not being asked, sure.

[jfk13]

I wonder if that's the most cost-effective way to use $1.43B to save lives?