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Transport Safety

7

Leaving on a Jetplane: The Safest Way to Get From A to B (1/7)

Air travel is commonly known as the safest form of transportation. Every year, about two billion people land safely at their destination. Air traffic has tripled since the 1980s, but the number of accidents has decreased.

In 2008, 817 people were killed in 61 plane crashes. Most fatal accidents happen with smaller aircrafts, often during take off or landing. In half of the cases, pilot errors are the cause. (Picture: Reuters)

Rolling on Rails: A Straight Deal (2/7)

Trains are generally regarded as the second best transport option in terms of safety. In 2007, more than 300 train passengers died in train accidents. Compared to an estimated one million fatalities in car crashes, this is an extremely low number. On a miles per passenger basis, taking the train is three times safer than travelling by car.

Despite low numbers of passenger fatalities, several thousand people die every year while crossing rail tracks. Rail Safety Organizations advise never to take short cuts via railways or to mess around anywhere near tracks. (Picture: Shutterstock)

On the Road: Slow down! (3/7)

Road-traffic accidents cause more injuries and fatalities than accidents with all other transportation means combined. Statistics differ, but 750,000 to 1.2 million people die on the world’s roads every year, 70 percent of which in developing countries alone. 20 to 50 million more people are injured or disabled as a consequence of traffic crashes.

Speeding, alcohol, and fatigue are the most common causes of road-traffic crashes. Disregard of traffic laws, not wearing seat belts, bad weather conditions, the road itself, or vehicle failure also lead to many preventable accidents. (Picture: Shutterstock)

Marine Safety: Lifejackets on Board? (4/7)

In June 2008, the ferry MV Princess of Stars, on its way from Manila to the Indonesian province of Cebu capsized in a typhoon. Only 56 of 845 passengers survived.

In the developing world, ferries are among the most dangerous means of public transportation. Poor maintenance, old vessels, overcrowding, flawed regulations, and no or too few lifejackets result in an appalling safety record with hundreds of fatal accidents every year. (Picture: Reuters)

Cycling: Pedal Power (5/7)

For hundreds of millions of people, cycling is a healthy, emission-free way of getting around. Unfortunately, cyclists have a much higher death risk than people driving in cars.

Poor street lighting and poor visibility significantly increase the risk for accidents, especially in low-income countries where most of the collisions happen around dusk, dawn, or night. (Picture: Reuters)

Pedestrians: The Weakest Link (6/7)

In the United States, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every two hours and injured in a traffic accident every eight minutes. Sixty-five percent of road traffic deaths in the U.S. involve pedestrians.

Accidents often happen when pedestrians share space with motorized vehicles, for example when children play in streets with heavy road traffic. (Picture: Reuters)

Riding a Motorbike: The Need for Speed (7/7)

Motorcycles are the most vulnerable vehicles on the road and by far the most dangerous way of getting around: With more than 30 deaths per 100 million passenger miles travelled, the fatality risk is 20 times higher when riding a motorbike than when driving a car.

Effective safety systems are rare for motorbikes. Wearing a helmet is crucial, but given the increasing speed of motorbikes, a helmet is often not enough. (Picture: Shutterstock)

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