[ExI] mass transit again

[Ben Zaiboc]

Stathis Papaioannou <stathisp at gmail.com> wrote:

> In most places you are far more likely to die from a car
> accident than
> from being assaulted, and you are up to ten times more
> likely to die
> using a car than using public transport (but even more
> likely to die
> if you walk, cycle or use a motorbike). Car accidents are
> the leading
> cause of death and permanent disability in younger people,
> with
> disease taking over as you get older. In fact, ending dead
> or crippled
> from a car accident is so common that it is often not
> reported, while
> ending up dead or crippled as a result of an attack by a
> stranger is
> news. The result is that people fear assault but are
> almost
> indifferent to the far greater risk from traffic
> accidents.


This doesn't constitute an argument in favour of public transport, though, it's an argument in favour of learning to drive properly.

Comparing traffic accidents with assaults is not comparing like with anything like like.  Nobody gets mugged as a result of their poor walking skills.

I wouldn't be surprised if, once self-driving cars become the norm, driving (or being driven, rather) was much safer than public transport, even taking into account the fact that the public transport will be self-driving as well.

Ben Zaiboc