Could Crash Modeling Have Saved the Concordia?8 Mar, 2012 By:
Robert Yancey Viewpoint: Event simulation helps automobile
manufacturers design safer vehicles — and it can do the same for
shipbuilders. The Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster has
generated many questions, but one in particular haunts survivors
and onlookers alike: Could this disaster have been prevented? It
is clear that the captain made some unwise choices, which put
the ship and its passengers in danger. Could something have been
altered in the ship’s design to limit the impact of that poor
decision-making on the crew and passengers? Most automobile
accidents are also caused by bad decisions. Some are caused by
conditions beyond the control of the driver, but the vast
majority are a result of drivers speeding, disobeying traffic
regulations, attending to distractions, falling asleep at the
wheel, etc. Automotive manufacturers have done a great deal to
improve car safety, introducing features that minimize harm even
when drivers perform poorly