Episode 10 – The Value of a Statistical Life

Value of a Statistical Life, the Ford Pinto, and Safety Cases. In this episode I examine the ethics and practicalities of placing a value on human life. I discuss how the value of a human life is determined, how it is used, and how it can be misused. We then delve into probably the most controversial example of safety versus cost trade-off, the Ford Pinto in the case of Grimshaw v Ford Motor Company, 1978. This episode also features an interview with George Despotou from the University of York. George and I talk about his recent article, a "First Contact with Safety Cases". Episode 10 transcript is here. References First Contact with Safety Cases The Myth of the Ford Pinto Case [pdf] 500 Life Saving Interventions and their Cost Effectiveness [pdf]