I'd have to agree with Vintagequest here. What of the guys that clearance their front wheel hubs so that their ball bearings are a slip fit? Should this be illegal because it's unsafe for the same reasoning too? The slip fit ball bearing can fall out of the hub just as easily as a taper bearing (IF the cotterpin fails and the spindle nut falls off.)
I've seen far more flywheels, chains, clutches, connecting rods, etc fly apart than taper bearings over the 40 years that I've been around karting.
Maybe taper bearings aren't enough better to merit their expense and use in karts. Maybe the same can be said for ceramics. I'm not wanting to dispute the advantages or disadvantages of each, but fail to see how the decision making process behind the powers that be decided that taper bearings are unsafe due to what appears to have been user error. Regardless of the tragedy that Paul is speaking of, racing is, and always will be, a very dangerous sport.