Originally Posted by Retro Grouch

Here's another thought.

There have been some other axle retention systems produced. I remember one that had two little metal fingers that stuck onto holes in the fork and one that had two metal thingies that slid over some kind of nubs on the sides of the fork. After screwing with those, lawyer lips are a comparative blessing by their simplicity and ease of use.

The reality is a high percentage of bike riders do not know how to properly tighten a quick release. Whether required to by low or not, manufacturers don't want to have to explain why they didn't provide such a safety device. Given that enviornment, I'm glad we have lawyer lips rather than having to put up with the alternatives.