Embry-Riddle research shows commercial flying is safer than road travel

A report from researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University highlights that commercial aviation is significantly safer than other forms of transportation, despite common public fears regarding plane crashes.

Data analyzed from 2016 through 2025 indicates that for the same distance traveled, the risk of death in a passenger car or truck is approximately 626 times higher than in a commercial flight. Most notably, the risk associated with riding a motorcycle is estimated to be more than 22,000 times higher than commercial aviation.

Even long-distance bus travel, typically considered a safer alternative to driving, carries a risk approximately 9 times higher than flying over the same distance. Between 2016 and 2024, statistics show an average of only about one passenger fatality per 97.7 million commercial flight passengers.