[ddulaney]

I think we’re on the same page here. You are discussing that individual lives are valued at various numbers. I’m pointing out that when deciding whether to implement safety mitigations, the government will in practice use a single value. From the link you posted:

“Prevention of an expected fatality is assigned a single, nationwide value in each year, regardless of the age, income, or other distinct characteristics of the affected population, the mode of travel, or the nature of the risk.”

I think reasonable people can disagree on whether it ever makes sense to use multiple different VSLs for different types of person. I happen to think that those kind of adjustments do more harm than good. But it’s all (literally) academic — actual policy is set based on a single VSL.