Hi, To be precise, in this proverb it is a calf: "Als het kalf verdronken is, dempt men de put" And I don't think it really has to be a problem, but it can also be a certain risk factor. Like for example you would not call a small pond in your garden a problem, however when a small child drowns in it, you get hit with the reality of the lurking danger of ponds where small children play around, and THEN decide to take it away or put a fence around it or something, when something bad has already happened. So I read it as people are willing to live with certain risk factors, UNTIL an event takes place, and THEN people start to ask/demand for risk diminishing rules/regulations/measures to be enforced/applied. Hope this helps!