How does the safety comparison stack up?

Do you know the most dangerous activity most human beings engage in everyday? No, it’s not skydiving or climbing Mt. Everest. It has been statistically proven that driving or riding in a motor vehicle of any kind is one of the most dangerous activities someone can do. In fact; in 2010 the CDC reported that approximately 32% of deaths were related to an accident involving a vehicle. Think about that for a minute; whether a passenger, driver, or a pedestrian; a vehicle of any kind was the cause of nearly a third of all deaths in 2010. That is a staggering number! We all need transportation to get from here to there. Choosing the safest option is the key. Everyone wants to avoid car, motorcycle and truck accidents; so we need to find the safest option.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the specifics. Why not see which mode of transportation is the most dangerous; then we could avoid it, right? Here are some of the statistics from the Department of Transportation:

  • There are over 5 million car accidents each year. In 2014, 92,000 motorcyclists were injured. Up 4.5% from the previous year.
  • Bus accidents were less than 60,000 and approximately 12,000 railroad related injuries.

The numbers tell it all. The truth is public transportation and the improvements that have been made to busses, railways and additional mass transit options are safer than automobiles, motorcycles and trucks. The vehicles themselves may be made safely, but public transportation modes are a safer way to go. In Europe, mass transportation is the popular way to travel. One Eurail railway pass will get you through 28 countries. The European metro and subway stations are the leading form of transportation across the pond.

Is there change on the horizon to more frequent use of mass transportation?

Many think we will see an increase in public modes of transportation and less personal vehicles on the road with this generation. The millennial generation; (ages ranging from 18-34 equaling 75 million people) has a different attitude when it comes to transportation.

Stephen K. Brooks
Author: Stephen K. Brooks

Steve was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. As was the practice for new doctors his father worked day and night during his medical residency at Charity Hospital there. Steve comes from a long line of doctors. His father, his grandfather, his great grandfather, even two uncles were all specialists and/or surgeons in their chosen medical specialties, including internal medicine specialist, obstetrics / gynecology, neurosurgery and general practice / surgery. His great-great grandfather was the Surgeon General of Ohio during the Civil War.