Nervous Traveler? Find Out the Safest Way to Travel in the USA
If you’re a nervous traveler, it might help to learn that traveling is safer today than it’s ever been.
According to a recent study by a leading economist at Northwestern University, fatality rates over all modes of transport in the US have dropped significantly since the 1970s.
The study also shows which forms of transport are the safest. So, let’s take a look at them in order, beginning with the safest way to travel.
By Air
Many people are nervous about flying, and that’s understandable. After all, it’s the one common type of transportation in which you’re not on terra firma.
However, you may be surprised to learn that traveling by airplane is actually the safest way to travel in the USA.
The Northwestern University study shows only 0.006 fatalities happen per billion miles of travel on US airlines, and the vast majority of those deaths occur in private recreational airplanes and small air taxis.
So, according to the statistics, traveling by plane is undoubtedly the safest way of traveling. In fact, commercial airlines in the USA are ranked the safest in the world.
By Bus
Yes, sadly, bus accidents do happen. And if you’re involved in one, you can at least file a bus accident lawsuit to pursue compensation to cover things like medical expenses. But bus accidents aren’t as frequent as you may think.
According to the Northwestern University study, buses in the USA are the second safest form of transport.
In fact, traveling by bus is four times safer than traveling by rail and, incredibly, fifty times safer than traveling in a private car.
Out of all the fatalities that happen on American roads each year, only around 10% involve buses.
The reason buses are so safe is due to factors like the improved roadway infrastructure in the US, advances in technology for manufacturing buses, and bus drivers needing to pass more rigorous certifications.
Hopefully, you now won’t be as nervous about traveling by bus. Though, if you are, or if you want a more sustainable mode of transport, you could always cycle when traveling shorter distances. There are some amazing cycling trails in the US, too.
By Rail
Buses may be four times safer than traveling by train in the USA, but traveling by rail is still one of the safest ways to travel in the country.
According to a Northwestern University study, rail travel is the third safest form of transport.
Even more interesting is the fact that the vast majority of train-related injuries and fatalities involve pedestrians trespassing on live tracks and drivers at highway level crossings.
Therefore, the act of traveling on a train is incredibly safe. So, if you feel nervous about the safety of trains, consider the stats.
Furthermore, traveling by train is not as harmful to the environment as other forms of motorized transport.
By Boat or Ship
Traveling by boat or ship is the fourth safest way of traveling in the country.
Furthermore, 90% of all deaths happen with recreational boating, rather than occurring on ferries, cruise liners, and passenger boats.
Also, forms of transport that travel on water have seen many substantial safety improvements in recent decades, so they’re becoming even safer.
By Car
It shouldn’t be surprising that car travel is less safe than other forms of transport. Every year in the US, around six million road accidents involving cars happen every year.
Thankfully, fairly few of those result in serious injuries and fatalities. But deaths do sadly happen.
The latest stats show driver fatalities occur in one out of every one hundred and fourteen accidents. Passenger fatalities are much lower, with one happening in every six hundred and fifty-four car accidents.