Do ye think TAWS or EGPWS will help decrease such accidents over time?
TAWS/EGPWS should prevent you flying into terrain in IMC but only if you are in control of the plane at the time. The thing is that
enroute one should never need it; if you are navigating OK, and in control OK, you should be above the MSA because you know where you are and you planned the flight on that route.
because someone acquires an IR and flies a twin doesn't mean that they wouldn't enjoy a bit of spectacular sight seeing.
How true. On a long trip last year, I decided to fly one of the legs VFR instead of IFR, primarily for the view. That turned out to have been a big mistake and one that still bothers me now. There was unforecast IMC, with mountains below, and I ended up climbing over the whole lot, at max perf, to FL140 "due weather", got cleared through everything and the controller didn't bat an eyelid - you can guess this was not anywhere near the UK
Sometimes one has to sod the view and do it properly and go IFR. Those with an IR have worked absolutely damn hard for it and should use it as intended.
as long as you have enough 'outs'
One always needs an OUT. Sometimes there isn't one, for hopefully a brief period, like landing at certain airports where there are houses down below. But if flying in potentially icing conditions, one either must have VMC above the MSA, or be able to climb to VMC on top. There is no other way. Every plane, even a Seneca with boots, will ice up over a few hundred miles of freezing IMC.