Is Flying Safer Than Driving?

David Muñoz | January 3, 2023 | Car Collisions

We should be really afraid of driving, but we should be even more afraid of flying because it is a common fear. If you ask the same group how many of them are afraid of flying, you might get several hands raised. However, if you ask the adults in a room how many of them are afraid of driving, almost none of them will raise their hands.

The greater risk is driving, but you should analyze the information and make your own decision about whether to proceed with the claim. It is indeed true that flying is safer than driving, as you may have heard.

What to Do If You Are Injured in a Car Accident

In order to minimize the chances of a deadly car collision, it is advisable to prioritize driving in a cautious manner. Rather than being concerned about perishing in an airplane disaster, it is worth noting that the overwhelming majority of plane accidents do not result in any loss of life, and the probability of being involved in a plane crash is significantly lower compared to a car accident. The statistics unequivocally demonstrate that flying is considerably safer than driving.

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Why Flying Feels More Dangerous

Even though the numbers are clear, many Americans still report being afraid of flying because flying obviously feels more dangerous and far less safe than driving.

Falling five miles out of the sky without a parachute may feel survivable, but plane crashes are more deadly than car accidents and are rarer occurrences. It is more likely for someone to crash into the rear bumper of another car than to experience a plane crash.

Many people are afraid of flying, as it crams them into a fuselage where doors cannot open until the pilots get out. These fears include being afraid of flying with strangers, being afraid of crowds, being afraid of closed spaces, and being afraid of heights. Experts also suggest that flying presents a perfect cocktail of various other fears.

Plane Crash Statistics

Shifting our focus to aircrafts, let’s ascertain the number of automobile accidents that occur and the proportion that lead to injuries or fatalities, considering the present circumstances.

In the United States, there have been only three deadly commercial plane accidents since 2006. Interestingly, none of these led to any deaths. A total of twenty-one plane accidents occurred in 2021.

Since 2009, only two individuals have lost their lives in commercial airplane accidents in the United States.

You are more likely to die in a plane crash than from sunstroke or choking on food. The odds of dying in a plane crash were also relatively small last year.

Prior to encountering a plane crash, one would need to live for a minimum of 50,000 years. On average, an individual would have to board over 100,000 commercial flights before being engaged in a crash, based on statistical analysis. The typical American flies approximately once or twice annually.

Nearly 99 percent of airplane accidents do not lead to a death.

Car Crash Statistics

Let’s start by looking at some general car crash statistics to get an idea of how dangerous driving is in the United States.

Every year, individuals in the United States collectively cover over 3 trillion miles. To put things into perspective, it would require over 8,000 years to accumulate a distance of 100,000 miles. On average, the typical individual drives approximately 12,000 miles annually. As a whole, Americans encounter an average of 1.34 lethal accidents for every 100 million miles traveled.

Americans report nearly 7 million incidents annually.

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, a car accident occurs every five seconds. Approximately every minute, thirteen car accidents occur. In the time it has taken you to read this statistic, approximately two crashes have occurred.

Your chances of perishing in a car accident are approximately 1 in 101 at any given moment.

The Verdict

Looking at the numbers, it is pretty clear that flying is far safer than driving, meaning that one thing Americans often fly more than they drive is because they have more potential exposure to car crashes, making it easier for airlines to implement safety measures to enforce driving safety rules.

How to Make Driving Safer

Since driving is more dangerous than flying, you can reduce the risk of a fatal accident and make it safer by doing what?

Avoiding distractions while driving, such as reading or applying makeup, involves refraining from texting and using hands-free mode for phone calls. It is advisable to minimize distractions as much as possible to decrease the chances of a car accident, and practicing defensive driving is always recommended.

You should never drive under the influence of drugs or when you are drunk. It is also extremely risky to drive while drowsy, so try your best to avoid getting behind the wheel when you are impaired in these ways.