So tonight I'm in Elko Nv, on My way home from Utah after a very fun and relaxing family reunion. Today as I was driving and listening to CNN on my XM radio I heard of the crash landing in San Fransisco of flight 214. I cant imagine how it would feel to have survived a crash like that, and My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones, and I know there are many who are praying tonight for those still in critical condition in the hospital. Nothing I could ever say could help them feel less pain.
However I thought I would do some research for those who may have to get back on a plane after that crash just to make it to their next destination. I would not blame them for taking a train at this point, but I know that of the 304 survivors some of them are going to have to get back on the horse and fly again.
After my research I have found 5 ways to help a person overcome their fear of flying and I sincerely hope this helps! So from one Traveler to another here you go!
#1 - Get VERY VERY DRUNK! - This was by far the most recommended tip on the internet, but some interesting points can apply. Many people have found that a simple beer can take the edge off before a flight, but others in more extreme circumstances find that getting completely plastered and having a companion by your side to controll you is the only way to get back on the plane.
#2 - Ask your doctor to prescribe you something - Suggestions online were for a sedative like ambien, Others suggested Xanax, but no matter what you take I suggest getting a physicians advice and a prescription.
#3 - Meditation and Hypnotherapy - Surprisingly many people found that Meditation and Hypnotherapy were the means by which they were able to get back on the plane, helping them to release the inner fears and come to grips with. Again this isn't something that can normally be done alone, at least not at first. Seek the help of someone who really knows what they are doing. Other similar solutions such as yoga and active sports all had the same intention of letting off some steam before a flight.
#4 - Indulge in comforts - Before on my blog I have talked about ways to make travel special for yourself, but in this case there is a purpose in doing so. Many online sources have pointed out that by making your self as comfortable as possible before a flight and having something like a movie to preoccupy your thoughts during the flight can help mitigate the effects of fear and anxiousness.
#5 - STUDY THE STATISTICS! - Almost every online site or resource I found stated that by understanding what your odds of safety actualy are and by taking a rational frame of mind secured by an understanding of the actual statistics can help a person remove their thoughts from the irrational side where fear exists to the more rational and less dramatic mode of thinking that allows a person to relax.
Here are some statistics about flying that can help..... Again my hope is that this information is of some assistance to someone who really needs it right now.
FROM:
By the Numbers, Flying is a lot Safer than Driving or Taking the Train
First, some raw information from government websites:
Data from NHTSA (2008):
Total Auto-Related: 34,017
Deaths to Drivers: 19,220
Deaths to Auto Passengers: 7,397
Pedestrian Deaths: 4,378
DATA FROM FRAOSA (2008):
Total Train Related Deaths: 800
Deaths on a train: 3
Ok you ready for this?
DATA FROM NTSB:
Deaths on 14 CFR 121 (Airlines)…
From 1982-Present: 2924
In 2009: 45
In 2008: 0
In 2007: 0
In 2006: 47 Deaths on 14 CFR 135 (Commuters)…
From 1982-Present: 364
In 2009: 0
In 2008: 0
In 2007: 0
In 2006: 1
The raw numbers are pretty interesting all on their own. I was hoping to compare 2008 stats with all transportation methods, but there just weren’t any airline-related fatalities in 2008. It is amazing that in 2008 34,017 Americans died in car related accidents, but in 28 years from 1982-2010 only 3,288 Americans have died from airline-related accidents. Just think about that… statistically, that means it would take over 117 years of airline fatalities to equal the same number of auto-related deaths just in 2008.
Although telling already, I also wanted to compare number of deaths per miles traveled by car versus airplane versus train. According to the Research and Innovative Technology Administration with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Americans in 2008 traveled 2,553,043,000,000 miles in cars, 583,506,000,000 miles via commercial aviation and 16,850,000,000 miles by rail. Doing the math, I looked at the number of deaths per 100 million miles traveled in the US:
TRAIN RELATED: 4.40
People being killed by a train in any fashion via FRAOSA
OTHER AUTO: 1.73
Motorcycles, pedestrians, auto related
AUTOS: 1.33
Only passenger vehicles
PASSENGER TRAIN: 0.13
People dying on the train via FRAOSA
COMMERCIAL AIRLINES: 0.0077
2009: 0.0077
2008: 0.0000
2007: 0.0000
Once again, it is hard to compare, since so many years for airlines have zero deaths. This means the average American is 190 times more likely to die in an auto accident in 2008 versus an automobile accident per 100 million miles traveled. So why do people concentrate so much on airline-related deaths versus others?
Well, the media and public really attach on to an airline crashing anywhere in the world. Heck, you normally will hear when an airline needs to make an emergency landing. However, you barely hear a peep about an auto-related death on the local news, let alone an auto death happening somewhere else in the nation or world. This slanted coverage gives passengers this false idea that airlines are inherently unsafe and people die all the time. Also, where an average of about 90 people die per day in a car related accident, they are spread through out the day and all over the country. It isn’t as shocking as 30-250 people dying at one time in an airline incident.
This just helps to reinforce how amazing air travel is in the US. What other transportation can you use in America today that is safer than that… other then not leaving your home? These are very complex machines, constantly flying as cheap as possible at all hours of the day. It truly is amazing more incidents don’t occur. Those that ask for the “good ‘ol days” of travel, should remember how much safer your flight is now than it was just 50 years ago.
On the other side of this, should airlines and airport continue to put millions of dollars into safety, when the industry is already very regulated and comparatively very safe? Is there such a thing as spending too much money to make air travel “too safe” or are the costs worth it?
Anyhow, getting off my soapbox, I know if you are afraid of flying, seeing these statistics probably isn’t going to help you feel too much at ease. However, next time you hit a bit of turbulence, think of how few people die each year flying and that there is a really, really really, really, really good chance you will be a.o.k!
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