Afraid to Fly? ... Riding Something Scarier Every Day [Curiosity Lab]

Passengers escaping from an overturned passenger plane at Toronto Airport on the 17th (local time). Photo by Reuters, Yonhap News.

As aircraft accidents continue to occur both domestically and internationally, including the fatal accident involving a Jeju Air passenger plane at Muan International Airport, people are expressing fear of flying. Although aviation accidents are not frequent, when they do occur, they often result in large-scale casualties, making their impact significant. How does this compare to other modes of transportation?

◆ Frequent Aviation Accidents Increase Fear of Flying

The mode of transportation that should be the most feared and require the greatest attention to safety is the automobile. Looking at the most recent statistics from 2023, there were 198,296 road traffic accidents, a 0.7% increase from the previous year. Railway accidents numbered 68, a 13.9% decrease from the previous year, and aviation accidents remained unchanged at 6. Maritime accidents totaled 3,092, an 8.0% increase from the previous year. In terms of casualties, road accidents resulted in 286,350 victims, a 0.6% increase from the previous year. Railway casualties were 35 (a 48.5% decrease), aviation casualties were 5 (a 44.4% decrease), and maritime casualties were 518 (a 25.7% increase).

Number of Traffic Accidents by Mode of Transportation. 2023 National Transportation Statistics

Number of Casualties by Mode of Transportation. 2023 National Transportation Statistics

◆ Road Accidents Number Around 200,000 with 2,551 Deaths... Nearly 300,000 Including Injuries

Road traffic accidents have fluctuated since nearly reaching 300,000 cases in 2000, but have remained below 200,000 for two consecutive years since 2022. The number of deaths in 2023 was 2,551, showing a decreasing trend since surpassing 10,000 in 2000. The death rate per 100,000 people is 5, and the death rate per 10,000 vehicles is 0.9. The number of injured persons reaches approximately 280,000.

Airport scenery unrelated to the article content

Railway accidents have drastically decreased. Railway traffic accidents (including train accidents and level crossing accidents) exceeded 600 cases in the 2000s but recorded only 68 cases in 2023. Of these 68 cases, 30 were train accidents (4 collisions and 26 derailments), 4 were level crossing accidents, and 19 were railway traffic casualty accidents (including passenger casualties, public casualties, and occupational casualties). The number of deaths was 16 (with 15 injured), with no passenger casualty accidents but fatalities occurring in public casualty accidents. Passenger casualty accidents refer to incidents where people entering station premises for railway use or passengers using trains suffer death or injury. Public casualty accidents refer to incidents where the general public suffers death or injury within railway areas related to railway operations. Maritime traffic accidents occur around 3,000 times annually, most of which involve fishing vessels.

◆ Dramatic Decrease in Railway Accidents... 68 Cases and 16 Deaths in 2023

Subway running over Dongho Bridge in Seongdong-gu, stock photo. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Aviation accidents have never exceeded 10 cases per year. Since 2020, the numbers were 4 accidents with 3 deaths in 2020, 2 accidents with 1 death in 2021, 6 accidents with 8 deaths in 2022, and 4 accidents with 3 deaths in 2023. However, years with major accidents saw high death tolls. ▲1983: 5 accidents, 276 deaths (including Korean Air Flight 007 shootdown with 269 deaths) ▲1987: 1 accident, 115 deaths (Korean Air Flight 858 bombing) ▲1989: 3 accidents, 94 deaths (Korean Air Flight 803 crash with 79 deaths) ▲1993: 3 accidents, 73 deaths (Asiana Airlines Flight 733 crash with 68 deaths) ▲1997: 4 accidents, 232 deaths (Korean Air Flight 801 crash with 228 deaths) ▲1999: 3 accidents, 12 deaths (including Korean Air Flights 6316 and 8509 crashes). These statistics exclude foreign airline accidents occurring domestically and near-miss incidents involving Korean-registered aircraft. The Jeju Air passenger plane tragedy occurred in December last year, resulting in 175 deaths.

◆ Aviation Accidents Remain in Single Digits Annually... High Fatalities in Major Accidents

During the holiday, the southbound lanes of the Gyeongbu Expressway viewed from Jamwon IC in Seocho-gu are congested as returning holiday travelers and commuters converge. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Looking at these statistics, the sky is safer than land or sea. As aviation accidents continue, the US-based CNN reported on the 19th (local time) that concerns about aviation accidents should be alleviated based on transportation accident statistics.

According to CNN, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced in January that the nationwide number of aviation accidents, including private and commercial flights, reached an all-time low. Of the total 62 aviation accidents, most occurred in private aircraft, which is 18 fewer than the 80 accidents recorded in January 2024. Among the January accidents, 10 were unfortunately fatal, with one involving a commercial aircraft. CNN stated, "While any number above zero can be considered too many, historically, the figure of 10 is very low."

Small fishing boats docked at the harbor. Archive photo.

◆ CNN: "Air Travel is the Safest Mode of Transportation"... Death Probability One in Ten Million, Lower than Lightning Strike

Including both private and commercial aircraft, the trend continues. Last year, aviation accidents and fatal accidents (totaling 257 cases) reached an all-time low. This is not a short-term phenomenon but a long-term trend, with the number of accidents over the past 12 years being the lowest since 1982. There have only been three years when fatal accidents numbered below 300, all occurring in the 2020s. This represents a significant improvement compared to the past, when fatal accidents exceeded 600 in 1982 and 1983 alone.

CNN stated, "No mode of transportation can be 100% safe. We must maintain air travel as safely as possible. The accidents in the past month have been frightening and some tragic. However, when considering all data, air travel remains one of the safest modes of transportation. Regardless of how the data is analyzed, aviation safety has steadily improved in recent years." The probability of dying in a passenger plane accident is less than one in ten million, which is lower than the probability of being struck by lightning (about one in one million). Compared to the over one million annual deaths worldwide from car accidents, air travel is much safer.