I think the “fatal flaw” in the PTC system is that is lulls the crew into a false sense of security. It’s human nature to think that if PTC has everything covered, I don’t really need to pay attention to the line side signals, or keep up with situational awareness regarding other trains near me. If there’s a problem, PTC will alert me to anything and keep me out of trouble. Not always.
The dumbing down of a once great industry continues...