Whenever a commercial airliner goes down, it’s all over the news. It’s a big, scary event, and it often makes people decide that it’s just not safe enough to fly.
On the whole, for major commercial flights, that’s just not true. These planes go down so infrequently that it really is more dangerous for most people to drive from their homes to the airport than it is to get on the plane.
Remember, nearly 40,000 people die every year in car crashes. If you assume an average of 200 people per plane, it would take 200 plane crashes to reach that number. That’s more than a crash every other day. Even if there was one major airliner accident every month –and there is not — it would be much safer to fly than drive.
The smaller the plane, the bigger the risk
However, those who say flying is safe because of these statistics are overlooking a key detail, Most plane crashes don’t involve airliners at all. They involve small planes. Some are tourist planes, others, bush planes, private jets and other personal aircraft.
This is where the true risk of flying lies. An airliner crash is catastrophic and will always make the news, but it’s also very rare. Small planes crash far more frequently, though. Because they take far fewer lives, the news coverage is much more sparse.
Injuries and losses
If you have suffered an injury in an aviation accident or lost a loved one, it’s crucial that you know the legal steps to take to recover financial compensation for your injuries, losses and other damages.