Thomas C. Grajek | June 24, 2025 | Personal Injury
How safe is flying? If you’ve ever flown on a plane, it’s likely that question has crossed your mind a time or two. Flying in an aircraft can feel a bit scary to many, especially since someone else is in control of the vehicle.
Whether you prefer to sail through the air or stay grounded to travel, it’s important to know your chances of getting injured in an accident. Consider the following information comparing fatal aviation accidents to vehicle accidents, and learn which mode of transportation is most likely to keep you safe.
Flying vs. Driving: A Surface-Level Safety Analysis
Statistically speaking, it seems that flying is a much safer bet than driving. How often do planes crash? Statistics from the International Air Transport Association show that there were 30 total accidents in 2023.
IATA statistics from the same year indicate that there was only one fatal accident in 2023 involving a turboprop aircraft, resulting in 72 deaths. This was down from a five-year average of five fatal accidents and 143 fatalities.
The same year, Florida experienced 3,536 fatalities as a result of car crashes. That’s more than 49 times the number of deaths associated with airplane rides. According to this specific set of data, air travel is the clear winner when it comes to passenger safety.
Looking Deeper at the Flight Safety Data
It is important to note that data from the IATA mostly covers the commercial airline industry. That means these numbers typically represent the number of accidents that occurred with scheduled service airlines governed by the Code of Federal Regulations Title 14, Part 121.
However, a deeper dive into the data reveals that most fatal air crashes don’t occur on commercial airliners. In general, they are heavily regulated by federal laws and, as a result, must follow strict standards for everything from pilot training to aircraft maintenance.
According to data from the National Safety Council, most fatal accidents involving aircraft occur with on-demand air taxis (which had eight fatal accidents in 2023) and general aircraft (which had 191 fatal accidents in 2023). These aircraft are governed by different laws and regulations, which are often not as strict.
Even when you look more closely at the numbers and consider the differences between data from commercial scheduled airlines and that of other aircraft types, it seems that the odds of dying in a plane crash are fairly low. There are not nearly as many aircraft fatalities as there are car accident deaths, even when you limit your analysis to the state of Florida.
What to Do if You Are Injured in an Accident
Is flying safe? The statistics indicate that the answer is a resounding yes. However, there are always personal injury risks involved in both flying and driving.
Planes can experience mechanical issues. Also, pilots can be prone to human error, especially if they are tired or otherwise impaired. Severe weather conditions can occur at any time, further complicating flight safety. These same issues can also impact drivers, leading to serious accidents, catastrophic injuries, and sometimes even untimely deaths.
Contact the Personal Injury Lawyers at Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney At Law for Help Today
If you have been injured in any type of accident, your first step should always be to seek medical help. Then, consider speaking with a personal injury attorney. Whether you were hurt on the ground or in the air, you’ll have someone in your corner, helping you understand your rights and fight for your needs. This can make all the difference in your case.
For more information, please contact us today at our Lakeland and New Port Richey personal injury law firm at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve Polk County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:
Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney At Law Lakeland
2306 Florida Ave S Lakeland, FL 33803
(863)-999-9000