Traffic safety compared to the safety of other human activities 2004-2006

When setting objectives for traffic safety it has been suggested that transportation should be as safe as working on average. The aim of this study was to update and complement the study on the safety of traffic compared to the safety of other human activities in Finland. Because of differences in definition and compilation of statistics concerning injuries, the comparisons were based on the number of fatalities. The study was based on different statistics, using person and vehicle kilometres as well as time as risk exposure. One kilometre travelled is most dangerous when using so-called unprotected modes of travel: motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and walking. The safest way to travel one kilometre is by aircraft or train. Bus travel is also safer than using a car despite an exceptionally severe accident at Konginkangas, in which 23 persons were killed. One hour spent in traffic is safest to pass on a train or bus or as a pedestrian. One hour spent in an aircraft is approximately as safe as one hour in a passenger car - although a serious helicopter accident (14 fatalities) in front of Tallinn occurred within the study period. Because of deaths in road traffic, over 100 million hours of lifetime are lost each year. In the most dangerous mode of travel with distance as risk exposure, namely motorcycle, 92 minutes of lifetime are lost on average each 100 million kilometres driven in addition to the travel time spent. In accidents where bicycles, pedestrians or mopeds are involved, fatalities usually concern those modes of travel. In relation to fatalities in a road user's own mode of travel, the most fatalities occur to other modes of travel in accidents involving trains, lorries or vans. Usually persons in the heavier vehicle have a better chance to survive than those travelling in lighter vehicles. The road traffic safety situation in Finland in the year 2005 was better than the EU average, but worse than the safety level in other Nordic countries in relation to both population and vehicle kilometres. Also in railroad traffic a greater number of fatal accidents happened in Finland than in the other Nordic countries in relation to the number of inhabitants. During the study period, about 400 persons were killed each year: 368 in road traffic, 23 in railroad traffic and 7 in aviation. At work (not including journeys to work) 45 persons were killed each year. The risk of death per hour in traffic is about ten times as high as the risk at work and almost twice as high as the risk during leisure time. The time spent in traffic and at work has become safer compared to the situation at the end of the 1980s and 1990s. The risk of death during leisure time has increased. This report may be found at http://www.lvm.fi/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=57092&name=DLFE-3207.pdf&title=LVM_38/2008