I will make it clearer -airline jets actually get an IFR Air Traffic CONTROL service whenever they are in IMC.
IE by CONTROL I am describing what happens in IMC in the USA. Here we just get a traffic information service when in the terminal area under our en-route airspace.Pilots, sometimes with only a few hundred hours, set the separation 'standard" (if you could call it that) and become the "Controllers" as they "separate" their aircraft from the Airline jet in IMC.
Some people claim a traffic service is just as safe. If so why do other countries provide a CONTROL service when IMC exists?
If it is as safe why don't we just provide a traffic information service in our high level en-route airspace where the experts say the risk of collision is less than in the low level terminal area?
Then again, I have always said our airspace is upside down!