What's the Safest Way to Travel? Travel Accident Legal Help

There's always some risk involved with traveling. Even so, there are some modes of travel that are less likely to result in injuries or worse. According to data compiled by the Department of Transportation, flying is the safest way to travel. With several options for travel, how do you know which approach is more likely to get you where you want to go in one piece?

One way to get some ideas is to take a look at the data compiled by the Department of Transportation. Thanks to the work of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, it's easy to get a snapshot based on information about fatalities between the years 2010 and 2019.

In determining the safest way to travel, it pays to look closely at the distance between your location and the intended destination. In some cases, the trip will be a short one, such as a daily trek to the workplace. At other times, it could involve going across the country for a vacation. 

Keep in mind that the data used to determine the safest mode of transportation includes a number of vehicle types that are used for a variety of shorter and longer trips. While the number of fatalities associated with each is serious, the odds are still in your favor of being able to travel without incident. In the event that you are involved in some sort of accident while traveling, it's good to know there are lawyers who will be able to help you pursue reasonable compensation. 

It's safe to say that cars are not the safest mode of transportation in the United States. In fact, they happen to account for the highest number of fatalities involving transportation for the years under consideration. For the purposes of the DOT's statistics, cars are defined as having a wheel base of less than 121 inches. 

During the period cited, 125,725 fatalities involving cars occurred. That does not include car accidents that involved primarily damage to vehicles and possibly minor to moderately serious injuries to drivers or passengers. 

Light trucks refer to vehicles with a wheel base of more than 121 inches. This would include pickups that are commonly driven by individuals as primary vehicles or possibly serve as secondary vehicles for some households. 

According to data for the period cited, light trucks account for 97,097 fatalities. This makes them significantly safer than cars. As with any type of travel, remaining aware of what's going on around you will help to minimize the potential of becoming a statistic. 

Motorcycles tend to get a reputation for being dangerous ways to travel. The theory is based on the fact that cycles don't offer much in the way of protection on the open road. It's true that being involved in an accident that involves a motorcycle does carry a significant chance of sustaining an injury. Even so, many will be surprised to learn that there are fewer fatalities involving motorcycles than occur with cars and light trucks. 

According to the data provided by the DOT, motorcycles were involved in 49,967 fatalities during the time frame cited. That's almost half of the fatalities involving light trucks for the same period. It's also 39% of the total fatalities involving cars for the years between 2010 and 2019.

Heavy trucks are defined based on their gross weight. While the figure varies by state, national averages tend to rely on a figure of 26,000 pounds to define this type of truck. It turns out that it happens to be one of the safer options for road travel in the United States.

The DOT analysis found that heavy trucks were involved in 7,358 fatalities for the period under consideration. While this figure does not include accidents that resulted in injuries or permanent disabilities, it does serve to indicate that the frequency of accidents involving heavy trucks is lower than with more common modes of travel. 

Buses are often in use as a major part of metropolitan transit systems. They are also utilized for group tours, vacation travel, and even travel by people who prefer to leave the driving to someone else when going across the country. While the cost of bus travel has increased in recent decades, it still remains one of the more cost-effective approaches to interstate travel. 

For the years under consideration, a total of 478 fatalities involved traveling by bus. This means that choosing to use this mode of transportation is one of the safest ways to get around – certainly safer than driving your own vehicle on a cross-country trip. 

Are trains safer than planes? As it turns out, taking the train is considered safe than flying in a private plane. At the same time, opting to travel by train carries a little more risk than taking a commercial flight. 

For the time frame under consideration, a total of 578 fatalities took place. While taking into account that travel by rail is less common today than it was in times past, this figure still confirms that taking the train is one of the safer ways to get where you want to go. For information about injuries related to train accidents in your area, having a word with a local train accident lawyer will provide some information that you will find helpful. 

Like motorcycles, private planes often have a reputation for being unsafe in comparison to other travel options. As it happens, fatalities involving private planes are less common than deaths that occur as a result of heavy truck accidents. 

During the period used for this analysis, a total of 4,054 fatalities involving private planes took place. This would involve events that focused on small planes carrying individuals or small groups, and may include trips that were for personal or business use. 

Commercial planes are operated by airlines, and provide the service of air travel in return for a price. Most forms of commercial planes are designed to transport larger numbers of people from one location to the next. Planes of this type have the capability of traveling from one end of the country to the other, often with no more than a single stop along the way. 

As an airline lawyer can affirm, commercial plane travel is definitely a safer way to get wherever you want to go. For the years included in the study, a total of 16 fatalities took place involving commercial planes. Feel free to take to the friendly skies, and don't concern yourself about what may happen along the way. 

Commuter planes are also designed to take passengers from one location to the next. The difference between a commuter plane and a commercial plane has to do with distance and the number of people. Commuter planes are generally smaller, can take only a limited number of passengers, and fly between locations that are in relatively close proximity. 

As with commercial flights, the use of commuter planes is less likely to result in a fatality. For the years used in this study, a total of 16 people resulted as the result of an incident involving a commuter plane. 

According to the modes of travel researched for the DOT study, ferry boars are far and away the safest way to travel. Are boats safer than planes? In general, yes. While the type of boat will make a difference, the low incidence of fatalities involving ferry boats bodes well for other types of pleasure boats, including liners. 

During the years covered in this study, there were four deaths that involved travel on ferry boats. In short, using a ferry to get where you want to go is one of the safest ways to travel. 

Not all accidents involving travel result in death. There are times when you may be traveling by these and other means, only to find that you are injured abroad in some manner. Those injuries may be minor enough to require nothing more than a trip to a doctor and some medication to facilitate healing. At other times, they may lead to a loss of income do to missing work, the need for a hospital stay and possibly surgery, and could involve a recuperative period that includes undergoing physical therapy. 

There's also the chance that the event could lead to some sort of permanent loss of mobility or other impairment that alters your life forever. Whatever the situation, know that you do have the option of seeking compensation through legal means. 

Don't settle for less. Contact Linden Law now and speak with one of our experienced travel accident lawyers. Protect your legal rights and ensure you receive fair compensation for your out-of-pocket expenses, lost income, and any permanent injuries sustained. Trust us, with our track record of successful injury cases, we'll fight to get you the settlement you deserve. Don't wait, call us today!