Driving vs. Flying By the Numbers The overall fatality risk is 0.23% — you would need to fly every day for more than 10,000 years to be in a fatal plane crash. On the other hand, the chances of dying in a car collision are about 1 in 101, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Yes, flying is statistically much safer than driving, and in 2026, the gap between the two remains vast. According to data from the Department of Transportation and various safety councils, the lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident are roughly 1 in 93, whereas the odds of dying in a commercial aviation accident are approximately 1 in 11 million. When measured by passenger miles, air travel records about 0.003 deaths per 100 million miles, compared to roughly 0.53 to 0.60 deaths for cars and trucks—making driving nearly 200 times more dangerous than flying. This disparity is due to the rigorous training of pilots, advanced air traffic control systems, and the incredibly high maintenance standards for commercial aircraft. While a plane crash is a "major" news event that triggers fear in many, the daily reality is that the most dangerous part of any flight is the drive to the airport.