Every time a dangerous event happens on an airplane, every time there’s a crash — and every time there’s a near crash — it seems to make the headlines. This creates a false sense of danger surrounding airplane travel. Indeed, when something goes wrong on a passenger jet, the consequences are horrendous — but how often does this actually occur?
On any given day, you can drive along the roadway and see the results of a tragic car accident. On any given day, you can turn on the television to see news reports about multiple vehicle collisions, interrupted by personal injury lawyer advertisements to help injured car accident plaintiffs pursue financial compensation for the costs associated with their medical care — but how many of us actually know someone who was injured in a commercial jet crash?
The truth is, flying in a commercial airplane is exponentially safer than virtually any other form of getting from A to B. Let’s look at a simple comparison. For every billion miles traveled:
- 7.2 people die riding in motor vehicles.
- 3.17 people die sailing on ferries.
- Less than 1 people die riding on buses and trains in rural and urban environments.
- .07 people die flying in commercial jets.
The dangers we associate with commercial air travel are more psychological than anything else. If you really stop to think about it, the idea of speed through the air, tens of thousands of feet high at hundreds of miles per hour is absolutely terrifying. Nevertheless, it’s by far the safest way of getting where you’re going.
If — regardless of the statistics — you suffered an injury on a car, bus, plane, train, bicycle or skateboard, you may want to investigate your legal options. Even if you’re not sure whether the accident and injuries were someone else’s fault, it could pay dividends to learn more about your legal rights.
Source: Popular Science, “Plane travel only feels like it’s dangerous,” Eleanor Cummins, May 04, 2018