What Is The Safest Form Of Transportation?

One in ten of us has a phobia of flying but, statistically, that fear could be irrational. Compared to other major forms of transportation, the chances of dying in a plane crash are fairly minimal. Annually, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) releases statistics related to fatalities in the transport industry. Here are the numbers: the data is pretty surprising.

Cars: Driving on the highway is, statistically speaking, more dangerous than any other means of transport. The DOT reported 32,675 automobile fatalities in America last year. Drivers have a 1 in 114 chance of dying in a motor vehicle crash, and a 1 in 654 chance of dying as a car occupant.

Trains: Trains are one of the most efficient means of travel, but they are also a little bit dangerous. 769 people were killed in 2017 due to railroad accidents. However, 60% of fatalities resulted from trespassing. So train travel is pretty safe unless you decide to take a walk on the train tracks.

Boats: There were 700 boating fatalities in 2017. The vast majority of boating deaths that is 90% were caused by recreational boating – not passenger boats or cruise liners. Unless you are water skiing to school every day then you should be safe.

Planes: There’s a 1 in 9,821 chance of dying in the air, which makes it one of the safest modes of transport. In 2017, around 848.1 million people flew to and from the United States but there were just 444 aviation-related deaths. Statistically, that’s pretty safe.

But why are people more afraid of flying? It could be because of risk perception. Devastating events such as plane crashes grab our attention, induce fear, and tend to stick in our minds. This gives us the false impression that these events are common occurrences no matter how infrequently they happen.

Let’s admit it: there are inherent dangers that come with every means of transport. Thus, be as safe as possible but don't forget to just live. Don't let paranoia steal experiences that will most likely not lead to your demise. Heck, given these numbers you shouldn't even walk anywhere. So let’s live our lives to the fullest!