A local council has decided to install speed cameras on residential streets where speeding has caused three or more serious accidents in the past five years. Residents on Oakwood Avenue have petitioned for a speed camera, arguing that drivers regularly exceed the 30 mph limit and children walk to school along this route. However, Oakwood Avenue has only experienced one minor accident in the past five years. The council rejected the petition, stating that resources must be allocated according to demonstrated need based on actual accident history, not on theoretical risk or residents' concerns about driver behavior. Which one of the following best illustrates the principle underlying the council's decision?