The plane is the safest form of transport on Earth, even cars and trains are significantly inferior in safety to airplanes. Despite this, with each new disaster, there are more and more aerophobes. Many people in the world are afraid of airplanes, mistakenly believing that other modes of transport are much safer. Is it true that the chance of an accident is high? And is the plane the safest mode of transport? Need to figure it out.

Statistics and odds

To determine that the plane is the safest mode of transport, you should familiarize yourself with the statistics. On average, seventeen disasters are officially recorded per year. It is important to understand that these sad events took place not only in Russia, but throughout the world. For a hundred years of existence civil aviation during flights, hundreds of thousands of people became victims of air crashes. That's less than a year in car accidents.

It is worth noting that the number of cargo flight crashes is no less than that of passenger flights, which is another argument in favor of choosing the aircraft. The chance of falling is so low that a person would rather die from a lightning strike than from a plane crash. Statistical analysis led to the conclusion that public opinion regarding transport safety is based on fears and superstitions.

Flight safety

It is worth mentioning the positive qualities of flights. This is the fastest mode of transport. It can also be said that the safest mode of transport is an airplane. To agree with this statement, you should study all the history of flights. As you can see, the list of air crashes is small.

Engine failure

Flights are the safest form of travel. This has been proven over the centuries since the beginning of aviation. The aircraft flies thanks to the wings, during landing, takeoff and flight, its movements are controlled by engines. But what happens if they refuse?

If one engine fails, the passenger will not feel it, because the plane can be controlled by the second engine. And even if both break down, the plane will not fall at a right angle down, but will begin to glide in the air for about two hundred kilometers indefinitely.

Turbulence

It is not often that you meet such a person who did not fall into the turbulence zone during flights. Everyone describes it as pitching. What is it? Turbulence is when, during the acceleration of liquids or gases in the external environment, vortices are formed that irritate the external environment.

Many passengers are wondering: can turbulence cause a tragedy? This cannot happen. The plane is designed so that in order for it to fall due to turbulence, you need a force that can only be found in the atmosphere of the planet Jupiter.

Pilots try to avoid turbulence, and planes can endure incredible shaking, so in terrestrial conditions the chance of falling from turbulence tends to be zero. Only once in the history of mankind has a plane crashed due to turbulence, when the pilot decided to fly over a volcano. Therefore, turbulence is only a comfort issue, not a safety issue.

Flying in bad weather

Pilots are well versed in weather conditions. For a certain time before departure, they look at the forecast for the route, so as not to get into a storm. If the weather forecast does not comply with safety regulations, the flight is canceled or rescheduled for another day. Before starting their career, pilots undergo many tests on simulators, learn to act decisively and calmly in any situation.

How much wind shear affects flight

Wind shear is a sudden change in the movement and/or speed of air over a short distance in the atmosphere. This is an important factor influencing aircraft during takeoff and landing. It applies not only to aircraft, but also to other types of aircraft.

Wind shear occurs in the lowest layers of the atmosphere (up to a hundred meters in height). Modern aircraft have a large mass, which makes them more inert. High inertia prevents the aircraft from changing its speed quickly. Keeping the aircraft at this speed while flying through different levels of wind leads to a change in speed in the air. Because of this, the aircraft is on a lower trajectory than expected, making the landing dangerous.

What is really dangerous?

Icing is when the aircraft is covered in ice on the outside. Occurs when flying in the sky with supercooled water droplets. This is very dangerous, because icing worsens the controllability of the aircraft, making it heavier. The result can be an accident or even a plane crash. Even at the airport, the plane can freeze at sub-zero temperatures. Before the flight, the ship is treated with a special liquid that stops the formation of ice. They pour over every external part of the aircraft: from the wings to the stabilizer. In the atmosphere, icing is unlikely, but possible.

Causes

There are three main causes of air crashes:

1. Staff error.
2. Technical difficulites.
3. Act of terrorism.

Let's consider each of them separately.

Personnel error

It should be understood that personnel error means not only the wrong step of the pilots during the flight, but also the unprofessional work of maintenance and operation specialists, technicians, dispatchers, operators. After all, it is impossible to predict human actions, and flight is a complex sequence of technical processes that requires strict control.

Most air crashes are due to the human factor, this is evidenced by official statistics. However, technology is advancing rapidly. Every year aviation engineers develop new automatic systems, design aircraft of new generations, which reduces the role of a person in flight to a minimum.

Technical difficulites

Bad and cheap equipment can easily fail at any inconvenient moment, but even high-quality automation fails. Equipment failure is a common cause of air crashes, about a third of crashes happen precisely because of this.

The main causes of malfunctions are malfunctions of the on-board computer and navigation systems. It is very difficult to find out the exact cause of these breakdowns. With this in mind, airlines are purchasing new and safe aircraft, abandoning outdated models.

Act of terrorism

Since the middle of the last century, terrorist attacks have become a big problem affecting flight safety. Most often, terrorists hijack a ship or plant explosives on an aircraft. Such catastrophes, unfortunately, take many lives.

Is it dangerous to fly on airplanes? As you can see, the statistics of falls are low, and their causes are rare situations, from which no one on earth is immune.

Every day, we are bombarded with a stream of negative information from the news: plane crashes, train wrecks, mass road accidents. Going on a long trip, a person involuntarily thinks: what is the safest type of transport according to statistics and how to insure yourself against an accident. Opinion polls show that people panic before an air flight, but boldly get into buses and private cars.

General characteristics of all modes of transport

Water transport

Water transport is designed to transport people and goods along rivers, canals, lakes. With the development of aviation, transcontinental transportation came to naught. Of the river navigation facilities, trams are relevant, cruise ships and ferries. They run between settlements or shores according to a set route and schedule. The ferry is operated to transport a large number of people, cargo, vehicles.

Ground transport

Rail (railway) transport is represented by long-distance and suburban trains. Passenger train- a reliable and comfortable way to move from one locality to another in a relatively short period of time.

Trains attract passengers with affordable ticket prices, run at any time of the year and day, regardless of weather conditions. The disadvantage is the cessation of the construction of new railway lines due to high competition from buses and private cars.

Wheeled transport

buses, fixed-route taxis and minibuses. Used to transport people over various distances. Advantages - affordable ticket prices and relatively high speed. Disadvantages - dependence on weather conditions.

Air Transport

The technological progress of the twentieth century did not bypass aviation. Today, the air direction is developing dynamically, thousands of domestic and international flights are carried out daily in the world. Features of air transport - good maneuverability, large territorial coverage.

The main advantage is high speed. Boarding a plane in Moscow, in a few hours you can admire the sunset in the tropics.

The disadvantages of modern aviation include the high cost of tickets and dependence on weather conditions. The problem is especially noticeable in winter - massive flight delays, airports overcrowded with passengers.

Incident statistics

Official death rates are at odds with the perception of ordinary citizens. The latter believe that the movement on land transport bears minimal risk.

World statistics use different methods to count the deaths in traffic accidents. The most popular is the number of deaths per 160 million km.

Buses and cars

Familiar and comfortable buses, minibuses and cars - the most dangerous transport. The only competition will be a motorcycle or a bicycle. More than 10 people die on the roads of Russia every day and even more victims are seriously injured.

Common causes of accidents are speeding, overtaking attempts, weather, car malfunction. In second place is the human factor: drunk driving, lack of sleep, distraction by talking, music, snacking.

According to statistical research, the number of road accidents differs significantly by region. This is due to the unsatisfactory condition of highways, the lack of normal lighting at night.

Mortality rate per road transport is 1.6 people per 160 million km when traveling on passenger buses. Among cars, the figure is higher - 3.1 people per 160 million km. More than a million people die in road accidents every year. This is much higher than in a train, plane or boat. Over 20,000 people died in car accidents in 2016.

Railway

Rail transport is considered to be the most reliable and safe of land transportation. According to mortality statistics, there are 0.9 passengers per 160 million km - less than one person. It is not surprising that in the Russian Federation, according to statistics, the lowest death rate is on railway transport.

Given the speed of modern trains, this is a good indicator. Most of the crashes are associated with a defect in the railway track, a malfunction of the rolling stock, and a violation of safety regulations at crossings.

In 2014-2016, 40 major disasters, about 100 dead and over 1000 injured. Rosstat from 2014 to 2015 has about 20 dead as a result of the tragedy on the railway. This is 16% higher than in 2013.

Water transport

Since ancient times, water has taken human lives as the price of transportation. Modern ferries, trams and motor ships guarantee relative safety to passengers. The cause of the crash is often weather conditions - storm, fog, hurricanes, icebergs. The statistics are disappointing: 2.6 people per 160 million km.

Note! The cause of half of the deaths on the water is falling overboard due to a violation of safety rules.

The statistics of mortality on the water is spoiled by cases in the waters of Africa and Asia. Vessels full of refugees and illegal migrants head for the shores neighboring countries in search of a better share. Safety in such cases comes last.

Air communication

Of all the above, the safest mode of transport is the plane. The mortality rate is 0.5 person per 160 ml km. The chances of becoming a victim of a plane crash are 1:8,000,000. It turns out that the probability of death is greater on the way to the airport than in the sky.

Attention! People give great importance to the crash of planes, losing confidence in aviation. In fact, when a plane crashes, for 1-2 weeks we hear about it every day from TV screens and newspaper pages. As a result - negative emotions and fear of flying.

There are 15 air crashes in 2017, most of them involving cargo planes. The death toll was 22 people. This is a record low figure, hundreds of times lower than the victims of road tragedies.

In the event of a plane crash, the insurance company is obliged to pay a large sum to the families of the victims. If plane crashes happened often, insurers would have gone bankrupt long ago. A weighty argument in favor of the aircraft.

The most dangerous type of transport statistics include ground vehicles. But you can insure yourself by increasing the chance of salvation in the event of a tragedy.

When traveling by car, the back seat behind the driver's seat is considered safe. If there is a threat of a collision, the driver will instinctively try to turn the car in the opposite direction in order to deflect the impact away from him.

Note! In buses and fixed-route taxis, places in the middle of the cabin are considered safe.

When traveling by train, it is recommended to purchase tickets for the middle carriages. In the event of a collision, the main blow falls on the locomotive and the first cars. When derailing, the last carriages often turn over, increasing the chances of injury or death. It is always better to choose seats with your back to the traffic. In case of emergency braking, this will help to avoid injury.

When traveling by water, it is important to know the location life jackets. It is highly recommended to find a fast way from the cabin to the deck, so that in case of emergency you do not panic and quickly prepare for evacuation.

It sounds strange, but there are also seats on the plane that increase the chances of salvation. This is the tail section of the aircraft. Not everyone is comfortable there because of the noise, but when falling, the first and strong blow falls on the bow. World Stats data recorded cases of survival in a plane crash.

Interesting: most of the survivors during the flight took seats in the back rows.

Aircraft is recognized as the safest mode of transport. Every minute, thousands of airliners take to the skies around the world. Considering the capacity of the aircraft is 200-300 people, a significant part of the world's population is in flights. When frequent crashes The earth would be empty. One plane crash occurs in every millionth flight, which includes cargo and military aircraft.

Speed ​​is an important factor. An airplane travels 160 million km faster than a train or a bus. Hence the conclusion: for long distances it is better to choose a flight, because. the mortality rate is the lowest (0.5 people).

1. Aircraft - 0.5.
2. Train - 0.9.
3. Buses, minibuses, fixed-route taxis - 1.6.
4. Water transport - 2.6.
5. Personal car - 3.1.

The above studies are just a dry ranking based on a statistical study. Transport itself is a high-risk area. Choosing this or that type of transportation, you can only partially prepare and protect yourself.

Vehicles allow us to move around the world quickly and comfortably, but at what cost? Millions of people die every year in transport. We have compiled a rating to identify the safest mode of transport, this was helped by the transport statistics of 2018-2019. Some ranking positions may surprise you, but you can't argue with the statistics.

10. Moped and motorcycle

Mopeds and motorcycles rightfully occupy the tenth position in our ranking of the safest modes of transport. For many years in a row, such transport has been considered the most dangerous, and 2018 is no exception. Of the total traffic, motorcycles make up only 1%, while on the roads 20% of deaths occur precisely on this type of transport.

In order to survive, you should remember that you can not develop a dashing speed of more than 70 km / h. Desperate bravado is not only inappropriate, it can also cost the life of the driver. And if he took a passenger with him ..

According to statistics, 125 deaths occur for every 1.5 billion km. motorcycle rental. The death rate of drivers of ordinary cars is 28 times less than the death rate of motorcycle drivers. These are the modern facts.

9.

On the ninth line of the ranking in the list of the safest modes of transport for 2018-2019, the bicycle is considered the “younger brother” of the moped. From year to year, the bicycle is considered one of the most dangerous types of transport, according to official statistics. This year is no exception, unfortunately.

The most common accidents involving bicycles occur when they collide with cars. The number of such accidents on the roads is constantly growing. Therefore, cyclists should be as careful as possible. Since teenagers are the most likely to die in such crashes, all parents should consider this moment. At 1.5 billion km. According to statistics, there are 35 deaths.

8. Subway

The eighth position in the ranking of the safest mode of transport according to the statistics of 2018-2019 is the metro. This type of transport in case of accidents ruins the lives of many people at once. And emergencies in the subway are especially dangerous for citizens. If we talk about Russia, most often the victims are passengers of the Moscow metro.

7.

Ferries are not as safe as water transport enthusiasts would like. According to the statistics of the current year, by 1.5 billion km. accounts for 20 deaths. In particular, it should be noted that not every death occurs as a result of a crash. Passengers have been known to fall overboard. Water transport is also unsafe!

6.

The spacecraft is ranked 6th in our ranking of the safest modes of transport for 2018-2019. Only 18 spacecraft that have been sent into boundless space since the very first flight in 1961 have failed to return. And this is despite the impressive amount of transport of this type sent into space. There were 530 ships in total. It should be borne in mind that people did not die in space itself. Tragedies happened during takeoff or at the time of landing. According to statistics, 1.5 billion km. accounts for 7 human deaths.

5. Minibus

4. Car

Previously, cars were considered an incredibly dangerous type of transport. So, how did a car turn out to be one of the safest types of transport in the 2018-2019 statistics? Everything is very simple. The machine design was significantly improved in last years. Thus, the number of accidents has been significantly reduced.

New statistics show that 1.5 billion km. There are four deaths in the share of cars. However, this does not mean that you can safely forget about safety measures or become fans of crazy driving.

3. Bus

For 1 billion km. accounts for 0.5 deaths according to official statistics. This applies to ordinary buses. Therefore, in the ranking of the safest modes of transport for 2018-2019, it was buses that took the honorable 3rd place.

In Europe, this type public transport is among the safest. Things are worse in Egypt, as in Russian Federation. But still, in the third position of the ranking, buses are deservedly. However, do not forget about the terrible incidents associated with this type of transport.

It is worth at least remembering how a bus was rammed by a truck in the capital. And this is not an isolated case!

2. Plane

Aircraft are in second place. Although, in previous years, this type of transport occupied the top line of such ratings. But, according to the statistics of 2019, the plane cannot be attributed to the safest modes of transport.

Nevertheless, 0.5 deaths occur per 1.5 billion km, if we also take into account small aircraft with helicopters. Commercial ships will always trump ordinary light aircraft in danger. However, we should not forget that the worst thing, in the case of air crashes, is the fact that almost none of the huge number of passengers manage to escape. And even the crew of an aircraft in air crashes is often no more lucky.

It is known that such incidents can never be an accident. When a plane crash occurs, a combination of certain factors is to blame. However, airplanes are always considered one of the safest types of transport. And statistics every year confirm this. But the most surprising thing is that often people are much more afraid of flying on airplanes than riding motorcycles.

1.

Trains, according to the statistics of 2018-2019, are considered the most safe transport in the world and were on the first place of our list. This is especially true for American and European trains, with only 0.2 deaths per 1.5 billion km. for the trains. If we take only the Russian Federation, the death rate in railway transport is 0.7 per 1.5 billion km, which is also not very high.

The National Union of Liability Insurers has compiled a rating of accidents in passenger transport in Russia. For the analysis, we used the statistics of compulsory carrier liability insurance, which has been operating in our country for five years. Details in an interview with "RG" were told by the vice-president of the National Union of Liability Insurers Svetlana Gusar.

A Boeing 737 of Aloha Airlines was able to land in 1988 after part of its skin was torn off at an altitude of more than 7 kilometers. Then only one person from those on board died. Photo: AP Archive

Svetlana Viktorovna, what type of transport in Russia is the most dangerous for passengers today, based on your statistics and how did you make the calculations?

Svetlana Gusar: During the work of the law on compulsory liability insurance of carriers, we managed to accumulate a large amount of data. It allows you to speak with confidence about many indicators. In order to estimate such a parameter as accident rate, we calculated the number of victims out of 10 million passengers carried by each mode of transport. In the first place is water transport. With a relatively small number of passengers carried by this mode of transport, the number of victims is the most impressive - 120 people out of 10 million. This figure is the result of several major accidents that have recently occurred on the water. They had a major impact on the statistics.

In second place in this ranking is air transport. Here it is necessary to make a clarification that we are talking mainly about helicopters. Aircraft mainly operate flights not only within the country, but also abroad, so airlines are exempted from the need to insure their passengers under the Russian law on carriers' liability. They are allowed to buy an international policy that meets the requirements of international law. So, in the segment of helicopter transportation, there are 30 victims per 10 million passengers transported.

If you look at the number of dead, not the wounded, the picture is somewhat different. In the first place will be air transport, where the highest death toll is 23 people per 10 million passengers. Water - on the second. They are followed by road passenger transportation, and it is in the segment of long-distance rather than urban transportation.

How can this be explained?

Svetlana Gusar: I think, mostly at high speeds: you don’t drive much in the city. Moreover, there is also a seasonal factor. In summer, there are more accidents with victims on vehicles. It would seem that it should be the other way around: in winter, both the weather conditions and the road are worse. But there are more accidents in the summer: drivers relax, break the speed limit more often. In addition, the intensity of traffic increases sharply with the start of holidays, and higher speeds in summer, which are provided by good road conditions, unfortunately lead to more severe accidents.

Most a large number of injured passengers water transport. Helicopters are second.

We are also monitoring such an indicator as the average number of victims in one accident. And here the inland water transport is also leading. In second place is intercity bus transportation. In water transport, the average number of victims in one accident is 11 people, in the intercity segment - 2.5 people.

Svetlana Gusar: Trams and commuter trains- these are the two main categories, where per 10 million passengers the lowest figures for dead and injured.

What is the average payment to passengers injured in an accident on a particular mode of transport?

Svetlana Gusar: The main part of payments under this type of insurance is made for harm caused to the life and health of the passenger. The payment for the deceased is 2 million 25 thousand rubles. In terms of health, if you look at all types of transport as a whole, the average payment, as we say, "with bruises" (minor bruises, for which, according to the law, a minimum compensation of 1,000 rubles is required. - Note ed.) is about 183.5 thousand rubles. Without bruises, the average payment is about 246 thousand rubles.

The figure is quite different depending on the type of transport. The largest compensation for personal injury is in air transport - for passengers, such accidents always result in the most serious injuries, and often even lead to death.

Are all passengers insured today?

Svetlana Gusar: Carrier liability insurance covers almost all types of passenger transport. The only exception today is a passenger taxi. The subway has a special status. He is not obliged to insure his liability to passengers, but due to the fact that enterprises are solvent - there are only seven of them in the country, citizens affected by an accident in the metro are entitled to receive compensation directly from the metro itself in the same amount as passengers other modes of transport. In general, coverage for all segments of transportation varies from 85 to 90 percent. This allows us to talk about a high degree of passenger security. A five-year analysis of the work of the law showed that this is a really working type of insurance, within which 4.3 billion rubles have already been paid.

The lowest rates for dead and injured passengers are for trams and commuter trains

This is also a milestone in Russian legislation, since for the first time in the history of Russia, at the level of compulsory insurance, fixed amounts of insurance payments for harm to the health of victims were introduced, which are determined not by the actual costs incurred by a person for treatment, but only by the degree of harm caused. These payments are usually much higher. It is also important to note that the basis for calculating such payments from the very beginning was fixed at a very high bar - 2 million rubles. For example, when compared with possible payments to the victim under OSAGO, the payments for passengers are four times higher. Imagine, for the same injury, a person, being a bus passenger or a pedestrian, will receive two different payments, the value of which differs four times!

Perhaps it would be worth bringing the payments for all types of insurance to a common denominator.

Svetlana Gusar: We know that there is unification in the plans of the Ministry of Finance. But any increase in payment limits rests on an increase in the cost of insurance. And if now we simply raise the limit to 2 million for OSAGO, this will definitely have a significant impact on the tariff policy. This is now a deterrent. Therefore, the state is taking very cautious progressive steps in terms of increasing the limits.

By the way, another plus of the law on the liability of carriers is that payments under it do not have a statute of limitations. Even if a person did not exercise their right to compensation immediately after the accident, they can apply for payment later. We have events that are announced after three, four years, simply because people either did not know, or were engaged in restoring their health, and they had no time for escaping to insurance companies. They are not very many, but nevertheless they are.

The average time from the date of the incident to the date of filing an application for compensation is now 148 days. From the date of the event to the date of payment - 178 days - this includes the period for providing the missing documents and resolving other issues that arise in the process of settling the loss.

It is worth remembering that an emergency in transport, as a result of which a passenger was injured, must be documented - this is necessary in order to receive compensation. Since most accidents in passenger transport are accidents involving buses, the main documents confirming the fact and circumstances of the harm caused are traffic police documents. Also, such a document on any type of transport can be an act, which, in accordance with a recent order of the Ministry of Transport of Russia, after each incident, the carrier must draw up.

If an insurance company loses its license, who pays compensation to passengers injured in an accident?

Svetlana Gusar: For this, there is a NSSO and a compensation fund - a mandatory attribute of all laws on compulsory liability insurance. It is formed from deductions from insurance companies. According to the law on compulsory liability insurance of carriers, three rubles from every hundred rubles go to the compensation fund.

Fortunately, we still do not have many companies stop working. And all the latest cases of exit from the market come with the transfer of the insurance portfolio. In this case, the contracts concluded by the insurer leaving the market are transferred to the service of another insurance company and do not disappear anywhere. The new insurer assumes responsibility and makes payments in accordance with the terms of the accepted insurance contract, without using the compensation fund.

Cruise superliner MSC Splendida has arrived at the Vladivostok sea station. There are 4,000 people on board. According to international law, all of them must be insured. Photo: RIA News

If the portfolio was not transferred, then the NSSO is responsible for all obligations of such negligent insurers to the victims, making compensation payments.

Carrier liability insurance is going to be extended to taxis. What can be the cost of insurance for taxi drivers?

Svetlana Gusar: The State Duma may consider a bill on insurance of taxi passengers during the autumn session of 2018. The amendments in any case provide for a transitional period of one year. During this time, tariffs will be developed, and taxi drivers themselves will be able to prepare for the new rules. So the bill will come into force no earlier than the end of 2019.

According to preliminary estimates, the cost of an insurance contract for one car can be about 3-5 thousand rubles a year. This will add no more than 3 rubles to the cost of one trip.

But taxi drivers still complain that they have difficulties with concluding contracts for OSAGO with a special mark. Allegedly, due to the high accident rate of this type of transport, insurers do not want to work with taxi drivers. Wouldn't this problem also arise under the carriers' liability law?

Svetlana Gusar: The problem of OSAGO accessibility exists not only for taxis. It is determined by the only factor - tariff setting. According to statistics, the frequency of accidents in the taxi segment is indeed three times higher than in the case of conventional cars. But it doesn't really mean anything. I'll explain why. An ordinary person travels in his car for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. Taxi drivers actually drive 20 hours - this is the average time a taxi car operates per day. They drive 10 times more, but at the same time, their accident rate is only three times higher than that of ordinary motorists. It is clear that this high degree of accidents is due only to the intensity of the use of the car. If you were an insurer and understood that your taxi payments exceeded the fees, you would also try to somehow limit the influx of taxi customers to yourself. Only this causes the problem with the conclusion of contracts for OSAGO.

As for the availability of carriers' liability insurance, I have never heard that someone could not buy insurance - we have no such complaints in the association. The thing is that according to OSAGO, 90 percent of payments, if not more, are payments "for iron". According to the law on the liability of carriers, 97 percent of payments are compensation for harm to life and health. At the same time, fortunately, there are much fewer accidents with dead and wounded than the facts of harming the hardware. In addition, the cost of restoring a car depends on inflation, on the dollar. "Iron" is tied, unfortunately, to the need to purchase spare parts, the cost of which also depends very much on the factors mentioned. Payments under the law on insurance of liability of carriers to passengers exist regardless of this dependence. Therefore, there are no problems with concluding contracts for this type of insurance, and they are also unlikely to arise in the future.

Help "RG"

The law on compulsory insurance of civil liability of carriers to passengers for harm to life, health and property has been in force in Russia since 2013. Its requirements apply to almost all modes of transport, including bus and trolleybus transportation. Taxi was not included in the law at the stage of its development and approval due to the fact that this market at that time was not regulated.

The maximum payment for damage to life and health under the law on the liability of carriers reaches two million rubles. It also provides compensation for damage caused to luggage, within 23 thousand rubles. The protection of passenger taxi passengers is now provided within the framework of OSAGO with a special mark, according to which the maximum payment for harm to life and health does not exceed 500 thousand rubles.

To understand whether it is so dangerous to fly on airplanes, you should turn to official statistics. In 2013, 31 air crashes were officially registered. It is important to realize that these tragic events happened not only to Russian aircraft, but to the world as a whole, and these flights include freight transportation and not just passenger.

It is clear that the number of accidents on highways is much higher. Thus, according to official statistics, only in the first half of the year, 62,984 registered traffic accidents occurred on the territory of the Russian Federation, that is, approximately 346 accidents per day.

Concerning railway transport, the statistics here are less deplorable, but the indicators are far from aviation ones. So, only on the Gorky railway in 2013 there were 17 accidents in which 12 people died. Unfortunately, there are no general statistics on railway accidents around the world as a whole, but in some countries, for example, in India, the situation is much worse than in Russia, so it becomes clear that the number of accidents in absolute terms in air transport is much lower than the same track score or railways.

When analyzing disasters, of course, one should take into account the widespread use of cars. But the number of flights per day is quite comparable to the number of trains departing daily from the stations.

The severity of the consequences of the disaster on different modes of transport

As a rule, there are no survivors. However, the same dry statistics suggests that this statement is not entirely true. In 2013, out of 827 people who crashed planes, 311 died. Over the course of six months, 7,801 people died and another 80,330 were injured in road accidents in Russia.

As for railway transport, there is a high death rate in traffic accidents at the crossing, but in most incidents during the movement of the train, people receive moderate injuries and bruises.

About half of air crashes occur during the landing of the aircraft on the ground. Interestingly, about the same proportion of accidents are caused by fatal pilot error.

What type of transport is the least dangerous

Insurance companies help to understand which mode of transport is the least safe, because they constantly study the statistics of accidents on land, in the air and at sea. It is interesting that the lowest tariffs are for insurance of goods transported by sea and air transport, that is, the probability of an unfavorable outcome here is considered by insurers as lower.

As for passengers, they are insured at a lower percentage for rail transport and during flight by plane. And trips by land transport (personal and public) are considered the most risky of all possible types of travel.