So, here’s the deal. Despite the barrage of nerve-wracking news, a new study from the brainiacs over at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, if you want to be fancy) has dropped a truth bomb: flying is safer now than it’s ever been. This study, published in the Journal of Air Transport Management, looks into all those crazy flight incidents, and still, the numbers show that air travel is miles ahead in safety compared to the past.
Let’s Talk Numbers
The data’s pretty clear. The study found that flying today is 39 times safer than it was 50 years ago. Yup, you read that right—39 times safer! Back in the day, about 50 years ago, your odds of dying on a plane were 1 in 350,000. Fast forward through the decades, and those odds have shrunk like a wool sweater in a hot wash. By the late 70s and early 80s, the odds were down to 1 in 750,000. Jump to the late 80s and 90s, and it was 1 in 1.3 million. Then, from 2007 to 2017, it plummeted to 1 in 7.9 million.
Sharks, Cars, and Planes—Oh My!
Driving to the airport is way riskier than the actual flight. And if you’re worried about getting munched by a shark, your odds there are 1 in 3.75 million, still higher than biting it on a plane. So unless you’re in the habit of swimming with chum in your pockets, flying is looking pretty darn safe.
Safety Gets Better with Age
The study also notes that the risk of dying in a plane crash drops by about 7% each year. That means in a decade, the safety rate pretty much doubles. Sure, there’s always going to be some level of risk we just can’t shake, but the chances of anything going wrong on your flight keep getting slimmer and slimmer.
The Bottom Line
After decades of massive improvements in flight safety, it’s getting harder to keep the same pace of progress. But still, we’re talking about a form of travel that’s safer now than it’s ever been. So next time you’re boarding a flight, maybe you can take a deep breath and relax—statistically speaking, you’re in for a safer ride than your commute to the airport.