TCVennen: the problem with your assessment is that those who skirt with disaster, do so because they have never been there before. By that I mean, they have never actually gone inadvertent IMC. If they did, they wouldn't want to do it in a hurry again. SO - my point is, they go right to the limit before backing out.
Secondly, the weather could so easily close in from behind making your '15 minutes' redundant. The decision should have been made before they got airborne in reality.
Pilots by their very nature are risk takers / experimenters. You won't stop the gambler in them until it's too late.
This sort of flying behaviour will go on and continue to take its victims annually. The trouble is - who do they take with them.........