Why you shouldn't be afraid of flying
You'd be forgiven for not wanting to travel this week. The last few days have been traumatic for the the transportation industry. Not only did an Asiana Airlines flight crash in San Francisco on Saturday, killing two and injuring more than 180, but an air taxi crashed in Alaska, killing 10; a passenger train derailed in Russia injuring 80; and a train in Canada exploded this morning. Don't want to leave your home? I don't blame you.
But while the images from these crashes are horrifying, when it comes to flying, at least in the United States, you're extremely safe compared to other modes of transportation. How safe? Matthew Yglesias put together this graph using this data which should help ease some tension next time you're boarding a plane.
The takeaway? Getting to the airport, no matter which transportation option you take, looks like the more dangerous trip.
If we look at passenger planes around the world, there have been 12 total accidents causing 62 fatalities so far this year. The 10-year average is 16 accidents and 357 fatalities per year, according to Aviation Safety Network. All are very low numbers considering the frequency of flights around the world.
And if you are in a catastrophic plane crash? There's a better chance you'll survive it than in years past.
Read more: Slate
Photo: Flickr/afagen
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