I have an irrational phobia of flying, I know all the stats about how flying is safest way to travel. I was wondering if someone could explain the why though. I’m hoping that if I can better understand what makes it safe that maybe I won’t be afraid when I fly.
Edit: to everyone who has commented with either personal stories or directly answering the question I just want you to know you all have moved me to tears with your caring. If I could afford it I would award every comment with gold.
Edit2: wow way more comments and upvotes then I ever thought I’d get on Reddit. Thank you everyone. I’m gonna read them all this has actually genuinely helped.
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The only people allowed to fly commercial planes are highly-trained pilots. The only planes allowed to fly have to meet rigorous maintenance and inspection schedules. The only runways that are used are meticulously designed and maintained so that the flight paths make collisions nearly impossible, and there is a dedicated staff of air-traffic controllers assisting pilots to organize takeoffs and landings.
None of this is true for cars. Car accidents are almost always caused by driver error, followed by issues with the vehicles themselves and sometimes the road itself.
Bottom line, airline pilots are unbelievably overqualified for the job because safety is a top priority, while many drivers are on the road who are not qualified, because there is little that can be done within our current framework to prevent underqualified drivers from being on the road.
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