Statistics Indicate It's Still Safer To Fly

The National Transportation Safety Board reports fatalities among all modes of travel in the United States increased last year, from 45,092 in 2004 to 45,636 in 2005. In a bit of better news, however, the number of persons killed in aviation accidents dropped to 616 in 2005, down from 652 the year before.

That number represents all aviation-related accidents in 2005... and strikes a balance between an increase in airline fatalities (22, up from 14 in 2004) and general aviation deaths (562, up slightly from 558), with a sharp decrease in air taxi deaths (18, compared to 64 in 2004.)

Highway transportation remained by far the largest source of travel fatalities, rising from 42,836 in 2004 to 43,443 last year -- despite a drop in passenger-car fatalities.

NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker called the overall increase in travel-related deaths "disturbing."

"In all modes, but especially on our roads and highways, we need a concerted effort by government, industry and the traveling public to establish a strong downward trend in the number of fatal accidents," Rosenker said.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov