Originally Posted by Efrem

That frequently-quoted statistic is based on several false assumptions. The major one is that your control over your destiny is equal for both. Car statistics include a lot of DUI, a situation I'm never in; other types of distracted driving, which I try to avoid; poorly maintained vehicles, which I don't drive; people who don't wear seatbelts and/or don't have airbags, neither of which affects me; new drivers, which I'm not; elderly/physically impaired drivers, which I'm not (yet); etc. In an aircraft I have no direct control over any of the comparable factors. I'm at the mercy of the airline I chose to fly. Granted, the usual standard of aircraft maintenance, pilot training, etc., is high, but the fact remains that the situations are not comparable. The likelihood of my being involved in an aircraft accident is what the statistics suggest, but that of my being involved in an automobile accident is not.