Skydiving vs. Cars: statistics

[AggieDave 6]

This is for everyone that remains in the idea that skydiving is safer then driving or that skydiving is in general a "safe" sport.

Although the data is a few years old, it still makes a point.

Quote

Activity # Fatalities per 1,000,000
exposure hours
------------------------------------------------
Skydiving 128.71
General Aviation 15.58
On-road Motorcycling 8.80
Scuba Diving 1.98
Living (all causes of death) 1.53
Swimming 1.07
Snowmobiling .88
Passenger cars .47
Water skiing .28
Bicycling .26
Flying (scheduled domestic airlines) .15
Hunting .08
Cosmic Radiation from
transcontinental flights .035
Home Living (active) .027
Traveling in a School Bus .022
Passenger Car Post-collision fire .017
Home Living, active & passive (sleeping) .014
Residential Fire .003

http://www.bhsi.org/stats.htm

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[beowulf 1]

I wonder how much higher they would rate BASE jumping.

[bobsled92 0]

So...just how many JUMPS= 1,000,000 exposure hours of freefall? I drive 2.5 hours everyday but I've never had 30 mins of skydiving in a 3 day weekend.

_______________________________
If I could be a Super Hero,
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[teason 0]

Um ...

If I spend the same number of hours driving per week as I do in 10 years of skydiving, then I am almost twice as likely to die driving than I am to die skydiving.

Geez, I hope my insurance covers me for driving!

"The only thing separating holy writ from complete bullshit is your perspective" - Dennis Miller

"Ain't I a Stinker!"- Buggs

I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.

[beowulf 1]

It would be interesting to see how they arrived at that number. I wonder where the got the information used in it.

[Brian425 0]

I always say skydiving is dangerous. The one thing that skews the numbers is basing it on exposure hours. If you say a total skydive is 5 minutes (freefall and canopy ride), that is 12 skydives per hour. Roughly 1000 jumps is 85 hours.

If they based the comparison on cycles, ie complepted jumps, completed scuba diver, completed Gen Aviation flights, etc, it would definitely be closer.

Before anyone says anything, I think skydiving is the single most risky thing I do. I believe that it is most likely the most dangerous sport that the general public can participate in.

Take it as a reminder. Be careful out there folks.

The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand.

[CornishChris 5]

Interesting stats but a little confusing as with many statistics. I would be interested to know how they calculate exposure time - is it time in plane, freefall or time of jump. Again with any staistics they can read how you want them - i.e. I would like to meet someone with 1,000,000 hrs freefall.

Also how do the numbers compare if you assume 200 jumps a year against 365 hrs of driving on the roads a year - what are the likely deaths then - come on statisticians amoung us...

Statistically everyone in the world has slightly less than one testicle. Doesn't make it true.

CJP

Gods don't kill people. People with Gods kill people

[ahegeman 0]

I like looking at it this way - rather than trying to compare across an arbitrary metric such as "exposure hours", use whatever metric is most appropriate for each activity, and see how they compare to each other per fatality. In other words, look at the proportions.

In 2003, the fatality rate for automobiles was 1.48 per 100M vehicle miles traveled (reference here), or 1 fatality per 67.57 MVMT . I always hear that the fatality rate for skydiving is about 1 in every 100,000 jumps. So, 100,000 jumps is as likely to result in a fatality as 67.57 MVMT. Do the division, and each skydive is, on average, as likely to result in a fatality as 676 miles in an automobile. 200 jumps = 135K miles. Advantage: driving (depending on your perspective, I guess).

Incidentally, in 2002 the motorcycling fatality rate was 33.96 per 100M miles traveled (here). Going through the same math, a skydive is as likely to kill you as 29.5 miles on a motorcycle. A motorcyclist doing around 5900 miles/year on the roads would have the same risk of dying in a motorcycle accident as a skydiver doing 200 jumps in that same year has of dying on a skydive. Seems pretty comparable to me.

For the record, all of you skydivers who ride motorcycles are officially crazy

---------------------------------------------------------------
There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'.
--Dave Barry

[bobsled92 0]

[ I would like to meet someone with 1,000,000 hrs freefall.
_________________________________________________
tHAT PERSON WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED 128.71 TIMES, ALSO.


Statistically everyone in the world has slightly less
than one testicle. Doesn't make it true.

[AggieDave 6]

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For the record, all of you skydivers who ride motorcycles are officially crazy

Sweet!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Muppetdog 0]

they left out giant anacondas. For every 1,000,000 hours I think its like a 100% fatality rate. Oh, and in an environment where and alien would be versing a predator, no mater which one wins you will lose. Said but true.

[AggieDave 6]

What about the ratio for getting shot for every 1,000,000 hours of working at a gas station in LA?

(I'm wondering if people know that I posted the stats more out of a spiteful joke, poking fun at people who try to compare skydiving to driving, although they are real stats)

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[mr2mk1g 10]

Quote

Residential Fire .003

Hehehe – didn’t realise the fatality rate for exposure to fire was so low. Now I know I’m not likely to die from exposure to fire I can play that game with the gas burner and cuddly toy. I knew my parents just wanted to keep all the fun for themselves when they told me not to play with matches.

[PurpleWill 1]

This thread just proves that a true comparison will take a considerable amount of time form a highly educated person or group of persons. Fact that we all know without the true comparison. Skydiving risks can be minimized by paying attention to skills, equipment, weather, skydivers on your load, drills and every other detail that you can possibly think of. At the end your canopy can still collapse close to the ground or you or a person in the air with you can make a bad decision. The risk is true and cannot be eliminated. Each time you get into the plane you risk dying. The risk is greater than sitting on your couch watching the game not drinking beer and not eating crisps. The risk is also greater than some other risks we take, and it is cumulative to other risks we take. Skydivers has a greater cumulative chance to die young than people doing nothing. I know that and I accept that. Tomorrow when I get into the Porter at JSC, death will not even cross my mind.

There is a lot of stuff worth doing but then there is a lot of stuff worth doing instead.

[kallend 2,026]

Just comparing numbers with the 1 death per 100,000 jumps generally accepted figure, it looks as if the "exposure" here is freefall time.

The good news is that it takes weeks for me to get an "exposure hour" of skydiving, whereas an exposure hour of flying my plane comes each hour I fly it, ditto for driving my car, or just "living".

At my advanced age I believe I'm more likely to drop dead as I get out of bed in the morning than I am to die skydiving.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

At my advanced age I believe I'm more likely to drop dead as I get out of bed in the morning than I am to die skydiving.

So would that mean your final would be cancelled? This could be a money making adventure here...

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."