The Traveller's Magazine
If recent air disasters are scaring off passengers, it’s worth remembering that airplanes are still the safest mode of transportation, ahead of cars, trains and scooters!
There’s no room to doubt that airplanes are indeed the safest mode of transportation when it comes to travelling. In light of events in the past weeks including the Air Algeria crashes, that of MH17 and even the Transasia in Taiwan, it’s no wonder people are asking how safe air travel really is.
While the number of passengers transported by air each year has multiplied by 5 since 1975, the number of deaths in aircraft accidents reported every year are down. More passengers are carried by airplane every year and there are fewer fatalities. Finally, comparing airplanes to other modes of transportation, we can see that the probability of dying in air is 1 in every billion kilometres travelled. That’s 0.06 against 0.13 for trail and 3.14 for cars or even 48.94 for two-wheeled vehicles!
If these stats don’t give you enough reassurance that flying is the safest way to go, check out our tips for how to cure your fear of flying.
