What the problem of moral luck can teach us about lockdown rule-breakers

Is it ever right to blame people for the unintended consequences of their actions?

A sign above the M8 motorway in Glasgow on April 16, 2020 advises people to stay home as Britain continues to enforce a nationwide lockdown in an effort to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus. - Britain on Thursday extended its lockdown to tackle the coronavirus for "at least the next three weeks", as it remains among the countries worst-hit by the pandemic with hundreds dying daily from the disease. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP) (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

To prevent the spread of Covid-19, restrictions on travel were imposed in the UK from 23 March. Most respected them; some did not. The consequences of breaking these restrictions could be negligible, or they could be deadly.

Consider the imaginary case of two people, unknowingly carrying the virus at the time, who deliberately break the law. Lucky Linda drives several hundred miles to see her father in a care home. Though she is stopped by the police and fined, she gets home safely without infecting anyone. Unlucky Ulla does the same, except that she does infect her father. That infection then spreads to others in the home, causing several deaths. Both incidents are widely publicised.