John Williamson: Northland s no seat belt minority and Law of the Vital Few
3 Mar, 2021 04:00 PM
4 minutes to read
Police at a seat belt compliance checkpoint. Northland s road toll last year was 27 dead and, of these, 10 were not restrained by a seat belt or child restraint. That s 40 per cent. Photo / File
ON THE ROAD
In 1896, an Italian economist developed the Pareto Principle. This states that 80 per cent of the consequences come from 20 per cent of the causes. Over the years this has evolved to the 80/20 rule, or the Law of the Vital Few.
So, 80 per cent of the crime comes from 20 per cent of the criminals, 80 per cent of the accidents come from 20 per cent of the hazards, 80 per cent of your revenue comes from 20 per cent of your customers and so on. But in road safety, the ratio is much sharper.