Post History

Why isn't voltage of electric chair higher?

I recall vividly a story told by my grandfather who worked with high voltage power lines. A worker drove heavy machinery into 700kV line and then jumped out of the truck, instantly combusting upon touching the ground.

I recently read about executions by electric chair, and got curious as to what voltage is used, since the described process seemed to last upwards to a minute, which seems incredibly unnecessary. Various sources indicate that voltage ranging from 1400V-2300V is used, most often figuring around 2000V. If we know that it is current that kills, it seems intuitive to use much higher voltage to achieve higher current, in effect speeding up the process.

Are there any considerations from electrical perspective, such as safety regulations, fuse ratings etc. that could be a reason for using this particular voltage and not going higher?