Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for July 21, 2017
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
July 21, 2017: Plane crashes are big news. There were 19 fatal crashes during 2016, claiming 325 lives in all.[1] These incidents may help explain why Gallup surveys have shown that roughly a third of all Americans are at least somewhat afraid of flying.[2]
But the data shows that flying today is safer than ever. With 3.5 billion people flying in 2016, the numbers work out to one death for every 10,769,230 passengers. That’s the second-safest year in aviation history—and it’s four times safer than a decade ago, when there was one death for every 2,803,299 passengers.[1]
All 10 of the safest years in air travel have occurred in the last 13 years. As recently as the 1990s, crashes were seven times more likely than they are today.[3]
| Safest years in aviation history | ||
|---|---|---|
| Deaths per total passengers flown | ||
| 1 (safest year) | 2013 | One per 11,501,886 |
| 2 | 2016 | One per 10,769,230 |
| 3 | 2015 | One per 6,144,642 |
| 4 | 2012 | One per 6,079,831 |
| 5 | 2011 | One per 5,318,702 |
| 6 | 2008 | One per 3,755,102 |
| 7 | 2004 | One per 3,478,821 |
| 8 | 2014 | One per 3,253,791 |
| 9 | 2009 | One per 2,960,526 |
| 10 | 2007 | One per 2,803,299 |
| Source: The Telegraph | ||
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- July 20, 2017 – 12 men have walked on the moon
- July 19, 2017 – 9 countries surpass the U.S. in government trust ranking
- July 18, 2017 – 2,173,000 Americans incarcerated
- July 17, 2017 – 8 Pivot Counties in Maine that voted twice for Barack Obama, then voted for Donald Trump
- July 14, 2017 – 33 states have enacted voter ID requirements
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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