Commercial air travel in the U.S. is exceptionally safe, with driving and other common activities posing substantially higher risks of fatality, a study from Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University has revealed. For the same distance traveled, individuals are 626 times more likely to die in a car or truck compared to a commercial airline.
The research, which analyzed fatality risks in U.S. commercial aviation from 2016 to 2025 and compared them with other modes of transport, recreational activities, household hazards, and occupational risks, concluded that air travel is "exceptionally safe."
"Public perception of transportation safety is often shaped by the visibility and emotional impact of rare catastrophic events rather than by objective measures of risk," the researchers stated. They noted that while commercial aviation accidents are uncommon, they receive disproportionate media attention, creating a perception of inherent danger. In contrast, more common causes of injury and death, such as everyday driving, recreational pursuits, and routine occupations, receive less attention despite posing higher risks.
Beyond car and truck travel, the study found that motorcycle travel is more than 22,000 times riskier than flying, and even highway bus travel carries approximately nine times the risk of commercial airline travel.
Recreational Risks Exceed Air Travel Safety
Several common recreational activities also present a higher risk of death than flying. Skiing and snowboarding carry a 73 times higher risk, scuba diving is 180 times riskier, marathon running is 202 times riskier, and skydiving is 422 times riskier than commercial flights.
The research also examined risks from various injuries, indicating that the likelihood of dying from a lightning strike is three times that of flying, a dog bite is eight times more likely, and death from a severe storm is 16 times more likely.
"The central conclusion of this analysis is clear: modern U.S. commercial aviation operates at an exceptionally high level of safety," the study authors wrote. They emphasized that when measured per mile traveled, per trip, or per hour of exposure, commercial aviation is safer than other major transportation modes and many common recreational activities and occupations. The researchers concluded that U.S. commercial aviation is a mature and highly regulated system that has reduced risk to exceptionally low levels, contributing minimally to annual and lifetime mortality risk.