I don't think you have to possess "Kirk" level intelligence to realize you shouldn't just haul butt region through space towards the really big rocks or stations.
I also don't think the game should be changed because people don't consider the following:
WARNING: OBJECTS AHEAD OF YOU MAY BE MORE SOLID THAN THEY APPEAR
Even though we're in space, these concepts aren't rocket science.
Pob put it well. Boosting for too long, boosting without clear line of sight; it just isn't a good idea. That and accidental deaths can be reduced with slower speed around solid objects.
Armor. Seriously, armor is your friend. When I get collision damage, 9 out of 10 times I'm replacing armor plate, not my whole ship.
Also, 0.25 damage when creating your galaxy is a nice compromise. You get to feel a little pain repairing damage but you don't instantly go poof when the AI use your ship as an emergency brake (break) to dock at a station.
What really needs to change is the documentation so players know they can actually change the values and what the values mean. I don't think this is even an issue if players know they don't have to suffer through this kind of game play if they don't want to by changing a setting or editing a single file.
Cheers..!
sorry I think this is just your opinion of yourself and not considering others. No space game that run into asteroids blows your ship up instantly if you traveling to fast and haven't got time to slow down. unless you got a very huge ship which creates less damage. every game I played since 80s, hitting anything effects shields.