What’s more dangerous, general aviation or riding motorcycles?
Friday, July 20th, 2007
ncolton22 asked:
Specifically, I’m interested in statistical comparisons in the number of deaths by general aviation vs. riding a motorcycle. I’m comparing data with a motorcycle rider friend and I need something that both can be compared to. Absolute numbers don’t help because there are many more riders than general aviators. All I’ve been able to find are statistics that use deaths per number of miles ridden for motorcycles or deaths vs. number of hours flown, and I need something that both can be compared to. Something like hours ridden vs. hours flown would be perfect. Thanks.
I don’t think hours ridden vs. hours flown unfairly hampers the statistics in favor of either form of transportation. It’s merely an attempt to create a benchmark by which both activities can be compared to. For every 100,000 hours of motorcyle ridding there are X fatalities. For every 100,000 hours of general aviation, there are X fatalities. Obviously the dangers of each activity are very different and there really is no way to compare specifics in terms of respective dangers. With that said, miles ridden vs miles flown wouldn’t work because airplanes typically travel much faster and cover more miles in a given period of time than do motorcycles. This would put aviation in a better light unfairly. These analyses are of course, very simplistic. It’s impossible to address every scenario in a yahoo question/answer session. I’m looking more for suggestions and information where a better statisitical comparison might be available.
Specifically, I’m interested in statistical comparisons in the number of deaths by general aviation vs. riding a motorcycle. I’m comparing data with a motorcycle rider friend and I need something that both can be compared to. Absolute numbers don’t help because there are many more riders than general aviators. All I’ve been able to find are statistics that use deaths per number of miles ridden for motorcycles or deaths vs. number of hours flown, and I need something that both can be compared to. Something like hours ridden vs. hours flown would be perfect. Thanks.
I don’t think hours ridden vs. hours flown unfairly hampers the statistics in favor of either form of transportation. It’s merely an attempt to create a benchmark by which both activities can be compared to. For every 100,000 hours of motorcyle ridding there are X fatalities. For every 100,000 hours of general aviation, there are X fatalities. Obviously the dangers of each activity are very different and there really is no way to compare specifics in terms of respective dangers. With that said, miles ridden vs miles flown wouldn’t work because airplanes typically travel much faster and cover more miles in a given period of time than do motorcycles. This would put aviation in a better light unfairly. These analyses are of course, very simplistic. It’s impossible to address every scenario in a yahoo question/answer session. I’m looking more for suggestions and information where a better statisitical comparison might be available.