In recent years, we’ve heard stories of people who have lost their lives while flying in a helicopter. On the other hand, the story of people losing their lives while driving is now old news.
One of the main reasons we find many people using helicopters today, especially in states like Lagos, is that helicopters provide convenience, with the ability to whisk people across the sky, avoiding city traffic.
However, a prying question in the minds of many has been: which is more dangerous, driving or flying a helicopter?
To determine which is more dangerous, let’s look at both transportation systems and which is more dangerous. Also, this article looks at the safety factor for other travel types, including aeroplanes.
Cars, SUVs, Trucks, Helicopters: Which of them is Safer?
Helicopters are not common means of transportation. They are mostly used by the wealthy for ease of transportation. All it takes is an engine failure or other mechanical malfunction for them to come crashing to the ground. However, if a car breaks down, often, it requires just pulling over to the side of the road.
High-profile Incidents of Helicopter Crashes
Many high-profile individuals have lost their lives to helicopter crashes over the years. While the Nigerian news has not recorded many helicopter crashes, there have been several others that have happened globally that shook many. One of the most notable was the basketball superstar Kobe Bryant’s helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in 2020. It’s no news that Kobe Byrant would have still been among the living if not for that one helicopter crash.
Driving a Car, SUV, or Truck is More Dangerous than Flying a Helicopter
The high-profile incidents make it seem like flying a helicopter is more dangerous than driving a car, truck, or SUV. However, that’s not the case. Experts note that driving is more difficult. How so?
The research titled “Death Index” for different modes of transportation looked at data collected from the NHTSA, DOT, and NTSB over a decade that shows the number of deaths per hour travelled.
Based on this research analysis, researchers showed that commercial aeroplanes are the safest type of transportation. While flying a helicopter is more dangerous than flying a commercial, it’s safer than driving a car. Based on the research, people are more likely to die in a crash in a car, truck, or SUV — than in a helicopter.
Here is the death index for each transportation mode. “1” represents the safest, which is for commercial aeroplanes, and higher numbers represent the more dangerous, with a higher death rate, which is for other types of travel:
| Mode of Transportation | Death Index |
| Driving or riding in a car, SUV, or truck | 453.6 |
| General aviation, such as private planes | 271.7 |
| Non-scheduled helicopter flights | 63.0 |
| Non-scheduled charter flights | 59.5 |
| Mass transit (bus and rail) | 49.8 |
| Scheduled charter flights | 34.3 |
| Intercity rail (Amtrak) | 20.0 |
| Commercial airplanes | 1 |
Conclusion
Based on the table above, driving or riding in a car, SUV, or truck is the most dangerous mode of travel. It has a recorded death index of 453.6, which is more than seven times the 63.0 index for non-scheduled helicopter flights. Commercial airlines are the safest, followed by intercity rail (20.0) and charter flights (34.3).
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