Mass Transit Versus Private Transport: Safety Comparison

When you think of mass transit, you naturally think of buses, railroads, airplanes, and subways. Every time something goes wrong, people stay away from mass transit for some time, then go back with trepidation. However, the statistics concerning mass transit accidents are actually quite low when compared to private transportation.

If you compare public to private transportation, you will find that it is much safer to take public transportation. In fact, buses are over 170 times safer than driving your car for errands or to work. That is a dramatic decline in accidents, both fatal and non-fatal, when compared to automobile travel.

Looking at flight statistics, you will find that statistics are figured per one hundred thousand flight hours, or by the number of departures. When utilizing the departure method to find safety statistics, we learn that scheduled flights have accidents less that one-fourth of a percent. Non-scheduled flights increase this to just over one and one-fourth of a percent.

Given the number of departures every day, the numbers for fatalities and non-fatalities flight statistics are incredibly low. Less than 189 millionths of a percent per 100,000 scheduled flights for non-fatalities, and less than 431 thousandths of a percent for non-scheduled flights for fatalities. The only reason that people have concerns about flying is that when there is an accident, they can result in many fatalities all at once.

As a total to compare public transport in a mass transit system to traveling by private automobile, just over 1 percent of all public transport accidents end in fatalities compared to nearly 15 percent of all reported car accidents ending in fatalities.

All mass transit terminals and the transport itself have taken steps to ensure safety not only while waiting for the arrival, but also while on the preferred mode of transportation.

So, while safety is always a concern regardless of the mode of transportation, individuals can feel relieved to know that mass transit options are extremely safe.


If you or someone you love has been injured in an auto accident or another type of transportation accident, speaking with personal injury lawyers or wrongful death lawyers is the first step in protecting your rights and the rights of your loved ones.