Is Flying Safer Than Driving?

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers | Car Accident

Is Flying Safer Than Driving?

Traveling by car and traveling by plane have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, traveling by car is often cheaper and more accessible than traveling by plane. However, when you need to cover long distances in a reasonable amount of time, flying to your destination is often the only sensible way to get there.

When you’re considering how to travel for your next trip, safety will likely be a high priority. There is a difference between the safety of traveling by car and traveling by plane in Florida. Knowing this difference can help you make an informed decision about how best to travel with your loved ones.

Car Accident Fatality Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 42,795 people died in car crashes in the United States in 2022 alone. 

This means that:

  • Over 3,500 individuals lost their lives every month
  • About 117 people died on the road daily
  • About five people died in a traffic accident every hour
  • One person was killed on the road approximately every 12 minutes

What is more, the rate of deaths on the highway has been generally increasing for the past 15 years. In 2021, there were 42,939 traffic deaths, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Before that year, the last time fatalities exceeded 40,000 was in 2007, when a total of 41,259 highway fatalities were recorded.

From 2010 to 2014, the number of yearly motor vehicle accident deaths stayed below 35,000 each year. But since 2015, the number of fatalities has increased from 35,485 in 2015 to its present number. In fact, the National Safety Council reports that you have a 1 in 93 chance of being killed in a car accident at some point in your life.

And Florida experiences more than its fair share of these car accidents. In 2020, Florida saw the third most accidents of any state in the country.

Your Risk of Dying in a Plane Crash Is Far Lower

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recorded a total of 32.2 million flights worldwide throughout 2022. Among those flights, there were 39 total accidents, five of which were fatal. Four of these fatal accidents involved a turboprop aircraft, while the fifth incident involved a jumbo jet. A total of 158 people died in these accidents.

Based on this information, the IATA calculated a person’s risk of dying in a commercial airplane accident at 0.11. In other words, if a person took a commercial flight every day of their life, they would experience a fatal crash once every 25,214 years. However, it should be noted that during 2020 and 2021, there were no fatal commercial airplane accidents in the United States.

This does not mean that air travel is completely safe or that all air travel is equally safe. The numbers IATA and United States airlines reported do not include data from general aviation accidents. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics, there were 344 people who died in general aviation accidents in 2020.

Statistics Show That Air Travel Is Safer Than Car Travel

In general, the numbers demonstrate that commercial air travel is the safest form of transportation in terms of the raw number of accidents and your probability of being involved in a fatal accident. Overall, you are far less likely to be involved in a fatal commercial plane crash than in a car accident. 

When planning your next trip in Florida, keeping these statistics in mind may help you create the safest travel plan possible for your family.

Contact the Pinellas County Car Accident Law Firm Of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for Help

For more information, please contact the Clearwater and St. Petersburg car accident law firm of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We serve Pinellas County and its surrounding areas:

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater
1875 N Belcher Rd. STE 201,
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 796-8282

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg
2560 1st Ave S,
St. Petersburg, FL 33712
(727) 349-1728