Figure 4-1 - Fatality Rates for Selected Modes

NOTE: For numbers of fatalities, see table 4-1. For Part 121 air carriers, a 5-year moving average was used to track fatality rates, because of the year-to-year fluctuation in fatalities. The departure data and hence the denominator of the rates are not strictly comparable between pre- and post-1977 eras, but the difference is small.

SOURCES: Activity measures: Highway: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 1998, available at www.bts.gov, tables 3-20, 3-21, 3-22, and 3-23. Rail (1990-95): _____. National Transportation Statistics, 1998, available at www.bts.gov, table 3-35. (1996) Sum of intercity train-miles from National Railroad Passenger Corp., Amtrak 1996 Annual Report (Washington, DC: 1997), U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Form 406 reports for the National Transit Database, unpublished data. General Aviation (1975-81): U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics Historical Compendium, 1960-1992 (Washington, DC: 1993), table 26. General aviation (1982-97): National Transportation Safety Board, Press release SB-12, February 1998, table 10. Part 121 air carriers (1978-81): National Transportation Safety Board, Annual Review of Aircraft Accident Data: U.S. Air Carriers (Washington, DC: Annual issues). (1982-97): _____. Press release SB-12, February 1998, table 5.