Danger is the same up in the air or on the road

KUALA LUMPUR: The saying that one is more likely to die crossing the road than taking a flight seems to be true.

Based on statistics provided by police, the number of road fatalities during Hari Raya Aidilfitri last year was 281.

During the Ops Selamat campaign in 2012, there were 243 road deaths compared with 289 in 2011. This year’s stastitics have yet to be released.

The flurry of air disasters have amplified the fear of flying among people in recent days.

According to an article published on The Wall Street Journal’s website, after the Sept 11 attacks, the US Transportation Department recorded 1,000 more fatal car accidents during the following three months, compared to the same period in 2000.

It is not unusual for the public to be fearful of flights, because according to psychiatrist Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj, “this social behaviour dies down to human’s innate feeling of being in control”.

“In a car, the passenger can be in control of the driver; they can ask the driver to drive slower but in a flight, passengers have less control,” he said. “But road accidents still occur.”

He said this situation induced phobia and though most people were involved in more road accidents in their lives, many have escaped. “This leads to the thinking that they could be in better control of situations on land although they forget that the risk is still there.”