The Risks Of A Car Accident Are Higher Than Those Of A Plane Crash Argumentative Essay Sample

Introduction

Aviation and car accidents have different risks when they occur. However, the risks that are associated with them have different frequencies and intensities. All over the world, there are many more accidents involving cars when compared to airplanes. As a result, it turns out that the frequencies of risks associated with car accidents are higher than those of airplane crashes. For car most accidents, the possibilities are that they occur when they crash against each other, crash against other roadside objects, or fall out of their way (Valent et al., 2002). I believe that when cars crash against each other, they cause risks to occupants in both the cars involved, irrespective of which driver was on the wrong end and caused the accident. I also contend that the risks incurred spread across the people in two cars to make it more risky for car accidents than airplane crashes.

Background

Road accidents involving cars can also occur on road surfaces used by other users and it occurs all over the world (Kopits & Crocker, 2005). As a result, car accidents present many risks not only to the persons in the cars but also other road users and property. For example, a car can run into a building to cause havoc to other people’s businesses. However, an airplane crash usually happens in places that are by far from the sight of most human activities. In the process of an airplane crash, the risks presented to by standers are less than the risks presented by car accidents. The risks of dying in a plane crash are much lower than the risks of dying in a car crash (Thompson et al., 2001). According to statistics, the percentage or ratios of the two accidents have a very huge difference that makes it impossible to compare them. Car accidents also have a high level of how many people get injured on a yearly basis (Montazeri, 2004). From the available statistics, the numbers of people that survive plane accidents are higher than the number of people that are involved in fatal road accidents (Elvik, Christensen & Amundsen, 2004).

Main Points

The frequency of occurrence of car accidents is much higher than the frequency of plane crashes (Elvik, Christensen & Amundsen, 2004). Hence, in terms of frequency, road crashes are more risky because every time they happen, they cause more deaths, more destruction and permanent or short-term injuries to the people involved. In addition, the higher frequency of the car accidents is making people have a phobia of car travel when compared to taking flights. In a plane travel, the aircraft is inspected, checked, and confirmed that everything is in order before every scheduled flight (Lyons et al., 2006). However, the cars can go on the road for several days without inspections, attending, and repair checks. As a result, the risks that car accidents have and the likelihood of happening is higher when compared to the risk of having an airplane crash.

Evidence

The safety per hour of airplanes and cars on the road are different. In a single hour, a plane covers many more miles while flying than a car covers on the road (Lyons et al., 2006). Hence, there is a higher possibility that a car accident is likely to happen than an aircraft accident. With the higher possibility of a car accident, there are higher risks that come to car users. On the other hand, plane crashes have a lower risks compared to car accidents because of the places and locations they happen. Most airplane crashes happen in the air over the seas or forests where people are not in close vicinity. However, most roads are constructed in populated areas where human activities are common. As a result, the risks that come with car crashes are more than the risks that come with airplane crashes.
The pilots, copilots, staff, and captains of airplanes are thoroughly trained to make the flights safe and secure (Belcastro & Foster, 2010). As for car drivers, there are distinct possibilities that some of them have not received the proper training to perform a car driving. However, with the broken and flawed rules of road traffic, some of the poorly qualified drivers are allowed to drive. In the process, when a car accident happens, such drivers can exert little effort in controlling the cars, thus causing the risks of an accident to become higher. As for pilots and captains of airplanes, there are very strict rules in terms of qualifications (Belcastro & Foster, 2010). Prior to fully qualifying as a pilot, the individuals are taken through a thorough series of tests and trainings before being finally allowed to take care of the flights. Hence, when plane accidents occur, most of the pilots seek and exercise options to control the risks that will help many to come out of them.

One Major Opposing Argument

Some people contend that airplane crashes are more dangerous because when a fatal crash occurs, most, if not all, the occupants die. In addition, if the plane is lost and cannot be traced, the final funeral rites for the dead cannot be performed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the risks in car accidents are spread across the occupants in two cars to make it more risky than an airplane crash most often not involving other planes. However, the risks can be mitigated and controlled if drivers are trained properly and roads are constructed to meet the current standards of transportation. As for airplane crashes, their control, and reduction can come from careful monitoring of the weather and other factors. Overall, the risks are lower and in some cases contained for plane crashes when compared to car accidents.

References

Belcastro, C. M., & Foster, J. V. (2010). Aircraft loss-of-control accident analysis. In Proceedings of AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference, Toronto, Canada, Paper No. AIAA-2010-8004.
Elvik, R., Christensen, P., & Amundsen, A. (2004). Speed and road accidents. An evaluation of the Power Model. TØI report, 740, 2004.
Kopits, E., & Cropper, M. (2005). Traffic fatalities and economic growth. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 37(1), 169-178.
Lyons, T. J., Ercoline, W., O’Toole, K., & Grayson, K. (2006). Aircraft and related factors in crashes involving spatial disorientation: 15 years of US Air Force data. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine, 77(7), 720-723.
Montazeri, A. (2004). Road-traffic-related mortality in Iran: a descriptive study. Public health, 118 (2), 110-113.
Thompson, K. M., Rabouw, R. F., & Cooke, R. M. (2001). The risk of groundling fatalities from unintentional airplane crashes. Risk Analysis, 21(6), 1025-1038.
Valent, F., Schiava, F., Savonitto, C., Gallo, T., Brusaferro, S., & Barbone, F. (2002). Risk factors for fatal road traffic accidents in Udine, Italy. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 34(1), 71-84.