Japanese Train Disaster Blamed on Punctuality

(Amagasaki, Japan) Last month's train wreck in Amagasaki killed 107 people, including the driver, and injured more than 540. The chief cause of the accident has been determined to be that the driver, 23-year-old Ryujiro Takami, was speeding to make up approximately 90 seconds of time he lost by overshooting platforms on previous stops. However, the Japanese trait of relentlessly pursuing punctuality, to the second, is being mentioned as a factor that can produce dangerous circumstances. Obsession with punctuality is being called the fatal flaw.

Maybe it's me, but I get the impression that the analysts are trying to blame the schedule for the wreck.