Traveling by public transport is 10 times safer per mile than going by car, according to the American Public Transport Association (APTA). Commuters aren't convinced though as the majority of them travel to work by car rather than public transport. They may be put off by the recent spate of violent crimes on America's public transport network, especially in LA, New York City, and Chicago. Despite this, public transport is still the safest mode of transportation.
Safer driving
Any driver of public transport has to be professionally trained. This means they're safer than a typical driver. As the vehicles they drive are usually larger than standard vehicles on the road, the drivers of them usually drive slower too. For example, the average bus speed in New York is just 8 mph, while LA has an average bus speed of 10.8 mph. In comparison, 9 in 10 drivers confess to speeding. More than 9,000 people lose their lives on U.S. roads every year as a direct result of speeding, so taking a public mode of transport can be life-saving for many.
Fewer injuries
It's estimated that between 20 and 50 million people experience non-life-threatening injuries in car accidents every year. The risk of being injured when using public transport is much smaller. Train-car crashes result in approximately 2,300 non-fatal injuries. This makes it one of the safest travel options. Buses have one of the highest accident rates among all modes of public transport. There are around 67,000 bus crashes annually, but that's significantly less than the 5.25 million car accidents reported every year. A recent bus crash in Austin, Texas involved four people being injured after a bus, a car, and a jeep collided. If you're ever involved in a collision with a bus, a bus accident attorney will look into the cause of the accident and your injuries. They'll then consider whether compensation is owed and help you claim it.
Official help
Recent reports from across the U.S. show that a rise in violent crime is being reported on public transport. For example, in New York, there were 40 robberies, 85 grand larcenies and 34 felony assaults reported on subways in October 2021. But there are constantly things being into place to stop these crimes and to make public transport safer. Canine cops have recently been deployed at subway stations in New York to protect people. In Chicago, the police department has cameras on every public transportation system. They say they send photos out to police on the ground immediately so that swift action can be taken in locating and arresting suspects.
Public transport is getting safer, whereas traveling by private car is becoming riskier. There will always be some degree of risk no matter how you travel, but science says sticking to public transport is the safest option available.
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