How Safe Is It To Fly?
With the popularity of no frills flying these days, asking the question, “How safe is it to fly on discount airlines?”, is a common one. However, it is a question that may seem perfectly acceptable to some and infuriating beyond words for others.
Searching on the Internet for aviation statistics, you will find many pointing to how flying is the safest form of transport. It is estimated, that you have a one on eleven millions chance of being involved in an aircraft accident. The odds of you being severely injured or, god forbid killed, are slimmer still. Conversely, your odds of being killed on the road are just one in five thousand.
The problem with flying comes more from the focus the media give to accidents, than to the frequency of them. It is a big story when a plane goes down anywhere in the world, and you can sure it will be reported on all news channels. That there is such an attraction to cover these stories, tells the story itself.
Far bigger than any problems airlines experience with flying, when answering questions of, “How safe is it to fly”, is coping with how people with a fear of flying react. We should perhaps take more time to look at how infrequent air disasters are, and how in depth the media’s coverage is of them. As the twenty-four hour news culture continues, it can be easy to lose sight of just how rare an event is.
But that isn’t the case with air disasters. It is always about apportioning blame and covering the negatives of the disaster. That you a safer in the air than on the ground at most times of your life, seem to be put to one side as soon as a fatal accident occurs. And then the worries for many start all over again.
Whatever mode of transport you choose to take; be it plane, bike, car or the old faithful: the foot, there is always a risk. Worrying about such questions as, “How safe is it to fly?”, will not make things any better. Far from it!