Car vs Planes Fatal Crash

[brcase]

I'd be interested in how they come up with the statistics. For example, yesterday I spent about 3 hours in the car and 7 hours in aircraft. That gives me roughly twice the exposure to aircraft accidents as car accidents. I am also abnormal. Most people spend far more time in their cars than in aircraft.

So the real question would be, for one hour of driving vs. one hour of flying, which one gives you a greater risk? I have no doubt for me that the drive to the airport is more dangerous than the flight, but it would be interesting to try to determine which is truly more risky.

Back when I started flight instructing I spend a couple days looking at all the numbers I could find so I could develop a lesson on the risk of flying.

There are of course many ways to look at.
Pure numbers, driving is much more dangerous and kills many more people than flying, but then many more people drive and for many more hours per year.
Then the question is do you count fatals, injuries or accidents?
Looking as you fatal accidents on an hour per hour basis, and I have since seen similar numbers to confirm my findings I found that...

1.Airlines are much safer than driving
2.GA about the same as motorcycles (BTW. after riding motorcycles for a few years I am of the opinion that most motorcycle accidents are the fault of the rider, many are even single vehicle accidents)
3.Driving is safer than GA.
If you eliminate low flying (including crop dusting) and flying in bad weather GA is about the same as driving, so you can choose how dangerous GA is by when and how you fly.

As for the OP's question I suspect as pilots our perception is skewed. As pilots we tend to investigate and remember aviation accidents, as a society we have been conditioned to barely noticed fatal driving accidents and as a result unless it is someone very close to us we probably don't easily recall them.

I love the one ground instructors presentation I used to work with. He brought in a newspaper showing a Cessna 152 hanging from the power lines in Seattle where no one was hurt. This was on the front page of our local news paper nearly 500 miles away. The local fatal vehicle crash on the freeway made only as small blurb on page 4 of the same newspaper.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

 

[fgcason]

You're kidding yourself if you think there was zero risk.

What was the risk beyond basic flight simply because you're not on the ground? Took off, plane stayed operational, flew, landed. No engine failures, no near misses, no VFR-IMC, no structural failure, no ATC running airliners into me, no injuries, no death, no damage, nothing bad happened, nothing even remotely scary. That is as close to zero risks as makes no difference in the real world even though anyone can armchair nitpick absolutely anything until it appears infinitely dangerous.
Any two routine run of the mill days of driving (deliberately avoiding hazardous times of the day) in the city has far exceeded all the hazards I've ever potentially had in 500 hours of flying.

Over a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. Anytime you get out of bed you are at risk. And most people die in their sleep. Do you sleep? Even if you're immortal, the Sun will kill you and failing that, the Universe itself will do you in.

 

[Bob Noel]

In high school, I sort of knew three who died in a car accident (probably alcohol related).

In college, a friend died in a solo aircraft accident.

 

[bobmrg]

I've attended more pilot/CFI memorial services than I want to remember. Only one shirt-tail relative died in a car crash.

Bob Gardner

 

[DavidWhite]

I've known 2 people who died in car crashes, and one that recently died in an airplane crash. So I've known more folks who died in cars.

 

[kgruber]

I can think of about 20 airplane deaths names off the top of my head. Many more of people I can't remember their names, but had some associations with.

Car crash...................only one who I really knew. Several more distant acquaintances.

 

[AuntPeggy]

I've never known anyone who died in a car crash. I knew 1 who died in a plane crash. Most people die at the hospital, although a few have died at home.

 

[Everskyward]

What was the risk beyond basic flight simply because you're not on the ground? Took off, plane stayed operational, flew, landed. No engine failures, no near misses, no VFR-IMC, no structural failure, no ATC running airliners into me, no injuries, no death, no damage, nothing bad happened, nothing even remotely scary. That is as close to zero risks as makes no difference in the real world even though anyone can armchair nitpick absolutely anything until it appears infinitely dangerous.
Any two routine run of the mill days of driving (deliberately avoiding hazardous times of the day) in the city has far exceeded all the hazards I've ever potentially had in 500 hours of flying.

Over a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. Anytime you get out of bed you are at risk. And most people die in their sleep. Do you sleep? Even if you're immortal, the Sun will kill you and failing that, the Universe itself will do you in.

Rationalization. That's fine.