I could have made a lot user selectable, added bluetooth connectivity (or CAN, I suppose), allowed uploaded maps, etc. But I wanted to concentrate on keep it simple plug-and-play for two reasons. First, the majority of people who own these cars don't want to fiddle. Their car died and they want to just swap out the unit and go. Second, I had some trepidation about the Clean Air Act of 1970, which basically says "don't screw with emissions". If I made it too easy for people to "play" with ignition maps, I was worried I'd be in violation of that law.
Multiple weeks without electricity for some, but only 34 deaths. (And in Quebec, most people heat their houses with electricity)
"Fun" fact: In Montreal, more people die in heatwaves than of cold. Unless you're a drunk hobo that is: because they are shelters in winter, but old people die in summer in crammed apartments without AC.
You know how many minutes I "spend molding [my] previous cover letter to the job description"? 15 minutes. If you spend more than that, you are clearly doing it wrong.
Anyhow OP's point is regarding the efficiency of prohibition, not about support.