In light of the plane crash this week it got me thinking about why plane crashes receive so much media attention despite aviation being significantly safer.
It is sad no matter how a person loses their life and my thoughts go out to those young girls who lost their lives and all of the other people injured in the Asiana flight.
Here are some facts from USA Today in regards to plane vs. car crashes:
Comparisons
In absolute numbers, driving is more dangerous, with more than 5 million accidents compared to 20 accidents in flying. A more direct comparison per 100 million miles pits driving's 1.27 fatalities and 80 injuries against flying's lack of deaths and almost no injuries, which again shows air travel to be safer.
Look, I'll be honest. I'm a fearful flier. My brother is even a pilot and no that's not what spurred my fear.
I think though on an intellectual level we know that flying is MUCH safer yet we fear it and we scrutinize every crash. The FAA releases statements, the media goes nuts.
Yet, here is how we talk about car crashes, at least in Los Angeles:
"Three car pile up should be cleared up soon."
That's it.
A few years ago I spoke to a producer of a morning news show here in LA and I pitched the idea of running a story on the high amount of crashes. "But what's the story?" He kept asking me over and over.
People are dying, I responded and the crashes are mostly avoidable.
"There's no story there," he concluded.
I've done enough research now to find out that we humans are more fearful and saddeneded when multiple fellow humans die at once, hence plane crashes due normally mean a large loss of life.
Around 115 Americans die daily in car crashes.
5 kids die daily in American car crashes.
Car crashes are the #1 cause of death to young people.
Why isn't this breaking any news stations?
Look, like I said, I'm not a great flier and my heart goes out to plane crash victims. I do think we need to re-evaluate why the media isn't latching on to this though.