An important step in the campaign to advance aviation safety and protect it ifrom the threat of criminal prosecution or civil penalty can be taken by ICAO during its upcoming Assembly. Member states will be given a chance to vote on a draft resolution that would direct the ICAO Council to develop legal guidance to help nations protect information gathered by safety data collection systems. Further, it urges nations to step up to the issue and change existing laws that hinder use of the information. It is essential that this resolution be adopted. The aviation world long has grappled with the suffocating effect that the threat of criminal prosecution and exposure to civil lawsuits has on the accident investigation process. With around 85% of all accidents involving human error to some degree, the cooperation of the people involved is essential in tracking down not only the ultimate probable cause but also the highly instructive causal chain of events leading up to the final event. It is well understood and accepted that any information that can break that causal chain is vital to continually improve safety.
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