What Is the Safest Method of Travel?

If you’re thinking about taking a vacation alone or with family once it becomes safe to travel again, then you’ll want to know what method o...

If you’re thinking about taking a vacation alone or with family once it becomes safe to travel again, then you’ll want to know what method of travel gives you the greatest chance of getting there in one piece. 

Travel is something that millions of people participate in every year, some doing it for business while others do it for pleasure. Travelers share the need to move long distances, but how they do this is not always the same.

You can travel in one of four main ways. This includes driving, taking the train, riding a boat or vessel, and flying. These travel options vary in their speed, cost, convenience, and safety level.

Driving may seem like a cheap choice, but there are 7 million car accidents in the U.S. annually. Is it worth taking this risk just to save a few bucks?

Below we’ll look at each method of traveling and see which you’re best-suited with to keep yourself safe! 

How Is Driving?

The first way to travel that you might be considering is driving a car. 

Cars seem like the safest mode of transportation available because you’re in full control of your vehicle. You need to manually operate your car to drive it, which means that you can affect how you’re moving.

In a perfect world, you are fully in control of your fate while driving. Unfortunately, you cannot control what the other cars around you will do and this is what you need to be concerned with. You’re at high risk of getting into a car crash because of someone else’s negligence. 

This is especially true for people driving smaller cars or motorcycles. Even though car accidents don’t typically end in death, the fatality rate spikes for motorcyclists and those driving small, unsafe vehicles. 

Driving is by far the most dangerous way of traveling from one destination to the other. If you can avoid driving and opt for another mode of transportation instead, we highly recommend doing so!

Are Trains Better?

Train travel in Thailand

Alternatively, you might opt to ride the train. In comparison to cars, riding the rails is a much safer option when going from place to place. 

This might confuse you because you’ve surely heard of train crashes in the news. While train crashes do happen, they are extremely rare.

When you look at how many train passengers there are each day compared to the number of accidents, you’ll see just how small your risk is when on a train. 

What makes a train particularly safe is the railway. Train tracks are designed to optimize transportation and minimize issues. 

This means that travel routes are automated to ensure a quick and safe trip. Trains aren’t likely to crash into each other and there usually aren’t any other hazards on train tracks. 

With this in mind, trains are highly safe and you can’t go wrong with riding one on your next trip. 

Cruise ship passing in Subic

Will a Boat Keep You Safe?

A less-common way to travel includes riding on a boat or a ferry vessel. 

Aquatic travel is only relevant when you’re traveling internationally, but it’s a good alternative if you have the option. You eliminate the threat of other vehicles, leaving just the ocean to deal with. 

Ferry boats are less safe than trains but safer than cars, so they fit right in between the two other options we’ve discussed so far. These usually travel locally, which means that they might deal with smaller private boats. 

Private boats generally crash due to user errors, which can make them inherently dangerous to use. People who operate personal boats don’t go through the same extensive training that captains must complete, so private boaters are more prone to mistakes.

Commercial vessels are highly secure if you need to travel across the ocean. Cruise ships are a popular vacation choice and one reason for that is how safe they are. Considering boating if you’re traveling to a different country!  

What About Flying?

Flight travel

Lastly, you might think about flying on a plane to get to your destination. Many people are terrified by the mere thought of flying and understandably so! 

If you think about it too seriously, flying is slightly insane. It entails placing yourself in a large metal tube and launching yourself several thousand feet into the air, going hundreds of miles per hour as you do so.  

A fear of flying is natural, but flying is undoubtedly the safest method of modern travel. While plane crashes are extremely rare, they are well-publicized when they happen. 

As a result, this may make you think that plane crashes happen more often than they do. This is a major misconception about flying.

To put things into perspective, the number of annual flight passengers is close to a billion worldwide. The total number of flight deaths each year? Less than a thousand. 

As you can see, flying is incredibly safe, despite how dangerous it may seem. The probability of getting into a crash is infinitesimally small, meaning that you’re almost as likely to win the lotto.  

Closing Thoughts

Airport travel

No matter your reason for traveling, how you choose to do it can make a big difference to your experience and safety. 

The most common options of traveling include driving, riding the train, boating, and flying. Each method is effective, but they vary in how much risk you accept by choosing them. 

By far, cars are the most dangerous way to travel. Car accidents are too common and the uncertainty of other drivers is out of your control. 

Much safer choices include the train, boat, or plane. Of the three, airplanes are the safest option and should be your preferred choice. 

Keep in mind that you have options when deciding how to travel! A flight is likely to be your choice, but don’t overlook the alternatives of riding a boat or train!