Beginning in the 20th century, the options for traveling both near and far drastically increased, moving from literal “horsepower” to motor vehicles and air travel in a single generation. These advances make travel accessible to people from all walks of life, from daily commuters on city buses to celebrities and politicians traveling to multiple states in a single day.
However, when it comes to choosing travel methods, many people have a skewed perception of which modes of travel are the safest. So what do the facts and statistics tell us about the safety of our modes of transportation? Here, we want to take a look into fatality and injury statistics of the least safe to the most safe means of transportation including:
- Motorcycles
- Cars
- Boats
- Trains
- Buses
- Airplanes
Motorized Transportation Accounts For One-In-Seven Preventable Injury-Related Deaths
While our modern forms of transportation have revolutionized our society for the better, the increase in convenience and comfort does come at a cost. Because all modes of motorized transportation require high speeds and are operated by humans with the help of technology, unfortunately, accidents are not an uncommon occurrence.
In fact, around one in seven preventable injury-related deaths can be attributed to motorized transportation methods. Therefore, it’s evident that motorized transportation accidents are a leading cause of death and injury, but which is the safest of them all?
Motorcycles: Least Safe
Considering that motorcycles are the mode of transportation that leaves the rider the most vulnerable, it’s no surprise that they have the highest accident death rate. For example, there were 6,222 fatal motorcycle crashes in 2022, which was the highest on record and a 23% increase since 2019.
Furthermore, for every million miles of motorcycle miles traveled there’s an alarming 213 deaths, which is around about 24x the car accident fatality rate. And even though motorcycles make up just 3% of all registered vehicles, they make up a staggering 5% of highway-related fatalities.
Leading Causes Of Motorcycle Accidents
- Driving under the influence
- According to NHTSA, almost 30% of bikers involved in fatal motorcycle accidents have blood-alcohol concentrations over the legal limit.
- Speeding
- In 2107, it was reported that approximately 31% of motorcycle riders who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding.
- Distracted drivers
- As mentioned by our motorcycle accident lawyers in Austin, distracted driving is one of the leading causes of vehicle accidents in the United States, with many of these accidents proving to be fatal to motorcyclists.
Cars: Fifth Safest
Cars are by far the most widely used means of travel, with most Americans taking at least one car ride every day. Nevertheless, because of the sheer number of cars and drivers on the road, the statistics surrounding car accident-related accidents, deaths, and injuries are substantial. Some of the most shocking car accident data shows:
- Six million car accidents occur in the U.S. each year
- An average of 102 fatalities a day
- One driver fatality occurs every 114 accidents
- One passenger fatality every 654 accidents
- Over five million car accident injuries occur each year
- 42,514 deaths from motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2022
- 53% of motor vehicle crash deaths in 2022 occurred in single-vehicle crashes
There’s no denying that cars are one of the leading causes of death and injury in the United States. However, when comparing the number of car accidents per year to the number of actual fatalities, it proves that vehicles may not be as deadly as assumed.
In 2022, there were 5,930,496 motor vehicle accidents reported to the police with 42,514 fatalities, meaning that less than 1% of total accidents were fatal.
Boats: Fourth Safest
Historically, boat travel was fraught with danger, with shipwrecks, incidents of piracy, sickness, and worse all being a very real threat. Today, thankfully, traveling by boat is safer than ever. Passenger boats such as cruise ships, ferries, and other nautical forms of transportation make up only 10% of boating deaths, while private, recreational boating accidents account for the other 90%.
About 5,000 boating fatalities occur in the U.S. each year, or 6.5 deaths per 100,000 registered vessels. However, boating fatalities peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with an astonishing 25% increase over 2019. If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a boating accident, speak to the Austin boat accident attorneys today.
Trains: Third Safest
Trains have been a time-tested way to travel since the first passenger train left Darlington England with a load of 450 passengers in 1825. Ultimately, with the help of technology, train accidents have become particularly rare. However, any accident that does happen tends to make headline news, giving a false impression of train safety. In reality, trains are the third safest means of transportation with relatively low numbers in terms of injuries and fatalities.
467 people have died from train accidents in the US since 1975
Some other accident safety facts include:
- There is an average of 1,689 train derailments per year
- Between 1990 and 2022, 132 people died in train derailments – about 4 train derailment deaths per year.
- The vast majority of train injuries and fatalities occur at crossings.
- In 2022, of the total 954 deaths, 29% occurred at rail-crossings
Buses: Second Safest
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) safety standards, strict requirements for commercial bus driver’s licensing, and improvements in bus safety features combine to make bus travel the second-safest way to get to a destination.
Ultimately, all types of bus accidents (school buses, charter buses, city buses, airport shuttles, etc.) comprise less than 10% of annual traffic fatalities in the United States. This means that of all the automobiles on the road, buses are significantly safer than other forms of transportation. Ask an Austin bus accident lawyer for more information.
Bus Accident Safety Facts:
- There were 15,033 bus accidents in 2022 –219 were fatal
- Out of the 15,033 accidents – 7,119 resulted in an injury.
- In 2022, 1.5% of bus accidents resulted in a fatality.
- The top-5 states with the most bus accidents are:
- New York
- Florida
- Texas
- California
- Illinois
Airplanes: Safest
Logic would say that flying in a metal cabin at an altitude of as high as 42,000 feet at speeds of around 500 MPH is extremely dangerous. However, it turns out that commercial air travel is statistically the safest travel choice on Earth—or above the Earth.
- Incredibly, the average annual injury rate for air travel is .01 injuries per 100 million passenger miles traveled, compared with 48 injuries for the same distance traveled in cars and trucks.
- Furthermore, there have been zero deaths per 100 million passenger air travel miles each year from 2002 to 2020.
- The average annual fatality rate over that time was .01 deaths per 100 million miles traveled. Airline researchers also note that based on 2022 flight fatality data, a person would have to fly every day for 25,214 years to experience a fatal accident.
So while flying may seem like the most daunting method of transportation, in reality, the likelihood of experiencing a serious injury or death is miniscule in comparison to the other forms of transportation available.
Knowing the statistics for the most popular modes of travel can help travelers make wise choices no matter their destination. Nevertheless, whether you are driving, riding, or flying, always be sure to take the necessary safety precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones.
If you have been in any kind of transportation accident, reach out to the Austin accident attorneys at Shaw Cowart today to review your case.