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Ethical Dilemma: Road Safety vs. Trees

The document discusses a case study involving a county road commission manager who recommends widening a road by cutting down trees after several accidents occurred along that stretch of road. The discussion considers relevant societal values around public safety and environmental preservation. It also examines professional ethical standards from engineering codes regarding safety and the environment. The recommended action is to hold a public meeting to explain the technical reasons for widening the road, then widen the road while relocating the displaced trees elsewhere to balance safety and environmental concerns.

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4 views1 page

Ethical Dilemma: Road Safety vs. Trees

The document discusses a case study involving a county road commission manager who recommends widening a road by cutting down trees after several accidents occurred along that stretch of road. The discussion considers relevant societal values around public safety and environmental preservation. It also examines professional ethical standards from engineering codes regarding safety and the environment. The recommended action is to hold a public meeting to explain the technical reasons for widening the road, then widen the road while relocating the displaced trees elsewhere to balance safety and environmental concerns.

Uploaded by

rahul84803
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Example of Ethics Case Study Discussion (similar to HW2)

In your discussion of each situation, consider:


1. What do societal values require in this case?
2. What do professional ethical standards require in this case? Cite relevant parts of the Codes
of Ethics (printed in part 1 of the assignent!.
". What #ould you do?
Cutting $oadside %rees
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Case suary (not needed in student discussion!: 'evin Clearing is the engineering anager for the County
$oad Coission (C$C!, #ith a priary responsi(ility for county road safety. )t least 1 person has died along a
given stretch of road each of the last * years (y crashing into a roadside tree. +ay other accidents have occurred.
%#o la# suits #ere filed regarding the unsafe segent of the road, (ut #ere disissed (ecause the drivers #ere
e,ceeding the -. ph speed liit. 'evin recoends that the road (e #idened, resulting in cutting do#n /"0 old
trees. Environental groups protest, and file a petition signed to 1.0 people to save the trees. 1u(lic de(ate falls
on (oth sides of the issue.
Case question: 23iscuss ho# 'evin Clearing should proceed at this point.4
5ocietal values (note: 2 examples would be fine, 1 on each side of the disagreement!
) variety of societal values pertain to this situation. 5ociety values huan life, so this #ould favor
#idening the road and sacrificing the trees. 5ociety also values follo#ing the la#. 5ince it can (e argued
that people in the accidents #ere speeding, and therefore violating the la#, perhaps leaving the road is
fine. 6o#ever, the inforation provided is incoplete (ecause (eyond the 2 la# suits, soe of the other
accidents ay have occurred (y people follo#ing the la# (o(eying speed liit, passing 7ones, etc! (ut
under adverse #eather conditions or siple 2accidents4. 5ociety values environental preservation, in
#hich case a solution that does not 8ill the trees should (e found (ay(e adding guardrails instead!.
9inally, the :.5. is a deocracy and as such values the opinion of the a;ority. %herefore, a county (allot
or other ethod to accurately deterine a a;ority (the petition is one<sided at this point, and sall since
the relevant population ay (e as high as the city population of =0,000! ay (e helpful.
1rofessional standards (note: cite 2 to 5 from either ASCE or S!E code"
$elevant portions of the )5CE Code of Ethics are paraphrased (elo# and the action resulting fro the
code is then given.
)5CE Canon 1: paraount safety ... of the pu(lic
%his supports reoving the trees and #idening the road.
)5CE Canon 1e: protection of the environent
%his argues for saving the trees.
)5CE Canon "a: endeavor to e,tend the pu(lic 8no#ledge of engineering
%his indicates that #hatever decision is ade, an effort should (e ade to educate pu(lic on #hy.
$ecoended action for 'evin (and #hat I #ould do!:
(1! 9irst, I #ould hold a pu(lic eeting to infor pu(lic. It should (e noted that 1.0 people on the
petition is a sall fraction of persons affected (up to =0,000 in to#n, so there could (e a silent a;ority in
favor of #idening the road!. E,plain #hy technically the (est solution is to #iden the road.
(2! %he county should #iden the road and reove trees fro the right<of<#ay for optial safety.
("! %he county should relocate the displaced trees to other pu(lic property (a par8, etc!.
%his solution accoodates (oth pu(lic safety and environental preservation.

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