Comments on: The Daily Dig: Traffic Fatality Edition

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:07:44 +0000

Joe, on further digging, it appears they got the data from the WHO road safety report (find it here: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/road_traffic/world_report/en/index.html), and the data is in mortality per 100,000 INHABITANTS, not drivers. Therefore, I believe I am correct in my assessment: the danger of driving in some countries where a relatively small percentage of their population drives is considerably higher than this map suggests. Countries like China and India likely have exceedingly dangerous roads, it is just that their huge number of people that don’t drive are at less risk of death due to an automobile and so pull down the average. Iraq, Iran and the UAE show extremely high levels, because they have a high percentage of people that drive (probably comparable to US levels) and they have “third world driving habits”, which are excessively dangerous. I suspect limited seatbelt use is also a huge factor.

This likely also explains the difference between the US and other first world countries. It’s well documented that the average American drives much more than the average driver in other countries. More deaths per 100,000 inhabitants are to be expected because of this, there is simply more opportunity for Americans to get in accidents. The roads themselves are not necessarily any less safe; indeed, they are likely extremely safe on an accident per mile driven basis.

By: Timon Singh

Timon Singh — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:28:50 +0000

Apparantly, the UAE is worst when it comes to car accidents. It has more accidents in the world per capita than any other country.

http://www.menainfra.com/news/uae-traffic-accidents/

By: Joe Melnick

Joe Melnick — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:02:06 +0000

Alex, it’s fatalities per 100,000 drivers, so population differences taken care of that way.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:37:06 +0000

Really surprised India is up there with the worst. It’s a total free-for-all over there, I know, I was almost killed on several occasions.

By: M. Charlemagne

M. Charlemagne — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:29:50 +0000

Dammit. Not another chart showing the US as a third world country. Mexico has better drivers than us! Otoh, it’s really weird to see South Korea in the same boat as us. I thought that old lady not passing her driver’s test for 60 years was a good thing!

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:25:44 +0000

Does this map mean of drivers, not population as a whole? Correct me if I’m wrong, but if, say, 20% of the people in, say, China drive, compared to, say, 80% in the US, wouldn’t there accident rate on this map be four times worse than it appears?

By: цarьchitect

цarьchitect — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:51:52 +0000

I mean, not going to Iraq is always a good idea, but holy shit, IRAN is dangerous.

Like Vanderbilt notes, the number of miles driven versus drivers makes a big difference - but that still doesn’t explain Iran, unless they’re just driving really badly.

By: acb

acb — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:44:32 +0000

Hang on… Italy’s roads are safer than France’s?

By: Adam Parast

Adam Parast — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:22:55 +0000

I think you mean Iran.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:06:27 +0000

Deacon, flights are priced to be cheaper than driving for individuals, and maybe couples. For families airlines try to offer discounts with their Saturday night stay rule, which gouges business travelers in order to fill planes with more family travelers.

By: Deacon

Deacon — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:32:36 +0000

So thats why I pay $100 for 2 of my bags to go with me on a round trip and pay $ 5 for a bag of 6 peanuts and $ 5 for a $0.50 headset and and and and….I have to subsidize their lack of business savvy.

If you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline. ~ Richard Branson

I went to South Carolina for a week in the summer and it was cheaper for me and my family to drive form Dallas to Hilton Head, stay the week, see the sites there and along the way etc and drive back, than it would have been for the 3 of us to fly from Dallas to Savannah one way, one flight with a weeks worth of stuff.

There needs to be an overhaul of the transport system in this country. The inefficiency of the system is astonishing and so many people who have the means to change it don’t get it for some reason.