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xLostWingx
Guest
I was interested in determining whether it is safer to travel by plane or car. The answer should present itself if we examine data from multiple sources. I have two sources, 1 for cars, and 1 for planes. They are not infallible, but they appear to be reliable enough for our purposes. Other sources are encouraged.
Plane Safety: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/01/11/336920/global-airline-accident-review-of-2009.html
Car Safety: http://www.who.int/features/2004/road_safety/en/
In terms of Injuries and Deaths - Cars 1.2 Million deaths per year; 50 Million injuries per year.
Planes 806 Deaths per year (avg.); 31 Fatal Accidents per year.
Note that up to 30% of fatal car accidents involve a drunk driver (in the USA). Also, many car accidents are collisions between vehicles and human beings or cyclists. Plane crashes usually involve catastrophic mechanical failure, or a drastic pilot error - some automobile fatalities are a result of mechanical failure (but consider how often planes are maintanenced verus how many cars are poorly maintained).
And this is for planes:
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By serious, I believe they mean involving a fatality.
It is clear to me that cars are much more dangerous than planes, but nearly all automobile fatalities are preventable while the trip is taking place, but it has been mentioned that plane accidents usually occur on takeoff or landing.
If I am driving a car, or in an area where cars are being driven, the introduction of a loud noise, an interesting scene, a hole in the road, or excessive speeds (and 1000 other factors) can create an accident in an instant. The plane travels through air and is not subject to most of these factors. However, outside forces can act on planes (bird strikes) and mechanical failure can happen in automobiles (Toyota Brake Failures).
Plane Safety: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/01/11/336920/global-airline-accident-review-of-2009.html
Car Safety: http://www.who.int/features/2004/road_safety/en/
In terms of Injuries and Deaths - Cars 1.2 Million deaths per year; 50 Million injuries per year.
Planes 806 Deaths per year (avg.); 31 Fatal Accidents per year.
Note that up to 30% of fatal car accidents involve a drunk driver (in the USA). Also, many car accidents are collisions between vehicles and human beings or cyclists. Plane crashes usually involve catastrophic mechanical failure, or a drastic pilot error - some automobile fatalities are a result of mechanical failure (but consider how often planes are maintanenced verus how many cars are poorly maintained).
And this is for planes:
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•1990-94: 1.32 serious accidents per million departures. •1995-99: 1.06. •2000-04: 0.58. •2005-09: 0.55.
It is clear to me that cars are much more dangerous than planes, but nearly all automobile fatalities are preventable while the trip is taking place, but it has been mentioned that plane accidents usually occur on takeoff or landing.
If I am driving a car, or in an area where cars are being driven, the introduction of a loud noise, an interesting scene, a hole in the road, or excessive speeds (and 1000 other factors) can create an accident in an instant. The plane travels through air and is not subject to most of these factors. However, outside forces can act on planes (bird strikes) and mechanical failure can happen in automobiles (Toyota Brake Failures).
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