Trains are not solutions to many kinds of necessary travel, either, at least not in the current landscape of travel options available to very many people in the United States.
That’s kind of the point though. Trying to get folks in the US to support better travel infrastructure. Doesn’t even always have to be trains.
Pointing out that “cars are 17 times more likely to kill you than trains!” does not serve the purpose of making a better world through transportation reform.
Why not? Everything you said honestly made it sound like everything else is a much safer alternative than personal vehicles. Why is that not an argument for better infrastructure and transportation reform? I’ve known people who have died in car accidents. I do not know anyone that’s even been in a train accident let alone killed in one. Your numbers are not that supportive of cars being generally safe. Those are not great odds when considering the loss is catastrophic. It’s probably one of the biggest risks folks willingly take and will actively avoid lesser risks.
Also not saying it’s wrong, but why are we dividing by 50? It’s per mile basis. If it’s 20000 miles per year, it’s already by year, no?
Also not saying it’s wrong, but why are we dividing by 50?
yes, 7% dead by 50 seems a lot to me. I see no reason to split that to an annual rate either.
50 is still young to die, so all of that 7% died young, when still of working age
If car is a fundamental long-term lifestyle choice/situation then people are exposed to the risk for a long period of time. ,20,30, 40 50 years. Its probbaly a decision on the same frquency as the choice to live urban/suburb/rural - maybe every 5-10 years to make a choice - but maybe a change only a few times in a lifetime.
Put this another way…
If the car users had decent range and network of bus /train /cycle /walk options and were willing to use them , they might be able to choose their risk exposure year by year, trip by trip and minimise it.
but without those alternatives in place, it’s just not a year-by-year decision for many people.
7% probably will die and may not feel they had the choice to do anything else.
I assume you’d see it as one of the leading causes of death (in the working age population) for that reason. Sorry i don’t know those stats of the top of my head- and i don’t know how to search on the internet.
The only thing i’d caveat with the stats are, safety figures from 2000-2009 will not be representative of 30-50 years from now.
Hopefully road design will improve - and vehicle design will definitely become safer for those in the cars. so the risk will likely fall.
Though the interaction between safety and congestion can go either way.
but suppose the risk halves (i’d reckon optimistic) the 7% drop to 3.5% i think that’s still a serious killer in my book.
That’s kind of the point though. Trying to get folks in the US to support better travel infrastructure. Doesn’t even always have to be trains.
Why not? Everything you said honestly made it sound like everything else is a much safer alternative than personal vehicles. Why is that not an argument for better infrastructure and transportation reform? I’ve known people who have died in car accidents. I do not know anyone that’s even been in a train accident let alone killed in one. Your numbers are not that supportive of cars being generally safe. Those are not great odds when considering the loss is catastrophic. It’s probably one of the biggest risks folks willingly take and will actively avoid lesser risks.
Also not saying it’s wrong, but why are we dividing by 50? It’s per mile basis. If it’s 20000 miles per year, it’s already by year, no?
yes, 7% dead by 50 seems a lot to me. I see no reason to split that to an annual rate either.
50 is still young to die, so all of that 7% died young, when still of working age
If car is a fundamental long-term lifestyle choice/situation then people are exposed to the risk for a long period of time. ,20,30, 40 50 years. Its probbaly a decision on the same frquency as the choice to live urban/suburb/rural - maybe every 5-10 years to make a choice - but maybe a change only a few times in a lifetime.
Put this another way…
If the car users had decent range and network of bus /train /cycle /walk options and were willing to use them , they might be able to choose their risk exposure year by year, trip by trip and minimise it.
but without those alternatives in place, it’s just not a year-by-year decision for many people.
7% probably will die and may not feel they had the choice to do anything else.
I assume you’d see it as one of the leading causes of death (in the working age population) for that reason. Sorry i don’t know those stats of the top of my head- and i don’t know how to search on the internet.
The only thing i’d caveat with the stats are, safety figures from 2000-2009 will not be representative of 30-50 years from now.
Hopefully road design will improve - and vehicle design will definitely become safer for those in the cars. so the risk will likely fall.
Though the interaction between safety and congestion can go either way.
but suppose the risk halves (i’d reckon optimistic) the 7% drop to 3.5% i think that’s still a serious killer in my book.