For those that are interested in the point I (and many more of you) are trying to a make about the nature of risk, this article sums it up quite nicely.
BBC News - Is driving more dangerous than flying through ash?
Note the point about the majority of human beings being unable to make rational decisons about risk. Then apply that to an all powerful civil servant (or even a very frightened one) who knows that nowadays society demands somebodys head every time an accident happens.
As someone once said...
"Ships are safer in harbour, but that's not what ships are for."