You're 17 times more likely to die traveling the same distance in a car than on a train

(Javier Zarracina/Vox)

In the wake of Tuesday's Amtrak derailment, it's worth comparing the safety of trains versus other modes of travel. Though train accidents are terrifying — and get lots of public attention when they occur — the truth is that traveling by train is much, much safer than by car.

The most recent comparison was conducted in 2013 by economist Ian Savage. The number of rail deaths from year to year ranges widely (because many can happen in large, sporadic accidents), but between 2000 and 2009, a person was about 17 times more likely to die while traveling in a car, compared with on a train, for the same distance. Aviation is safer still — about 100 times safer than traveling by car.

The seven deaths that occurred during the recent derailment might change this, but only slightly. Though the rare train accidents and plane crashes that do occur get way more coverage, about 80 people die on US roads every single day — and on a per-mile basis, riding on a train or plane is much safer than in a car.

We're here to shed some clarity

One of our core beliefs here at Vox is that everyone needs and deserves access to the information that helps them understand the world, regardless of whether they can pay for a subscription. With the 2024 election on the horizon, more people are turning to us for clear and balanced explanations of the issues and policies at stake. We’re so grateful that we’re on track to hit 85,000 contributions to the Vox Contributions program before the end of the year, which in turn helps us keep this work free. We need to add 2,500 contributions this month to hit that goal. Will you make a contribution today to help us hit this goal and support our policy coverage? Any amount helps.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via