There is only one case where I feel its acceptable to omit braces.
It's for one line tests with simple expressions like this:
if(!some_object) some_object = new SomeClass();
If you want to add a second line, you have to start with adding a line break, and at that point, it's very obvious that you need to add brackets too.
Even with stress levels high.
For me brackets or not seems just like a matter of style. If there are none and you add a second line, surely you should know you also need to add brackets.
Well, the only protection against idiotic programmers is better hiring and firing decisions. Bracketing conventions won't do.
Easy to say until that day you sit there with the deadline looming over your head, with stress levels at max, trying to fix that last show stopper bug.
The "just going to add some print out" happens very easily... And you really dont want to spend even 5 minutes with something like that, totally breaks your flow.
Clean and consistent code = less bugs and frustration
always.