[bombcar]

I did a similar calculation when deciding to learn to fly small planes (vs buying a motorcycle) - the accidental death rate is higher for both compared to driving a car - but pilot error is the cause of something like 90% of GA fatalities. But 40% or something of motorcycle fatalities are not the fault of the biker - he did everything right but someone else (or something else) got him.

[watertom]

As a motorcyclist you are 4% less likely to be involved in an accident as compared to an automobile, but 27 TIMES more likely to die.

A friend is a Navy pilot, and a crash investigator, trust you instruments all the time.

[istjohn]

But the overall rate of GA fatalities is much higher than for motorcycling.

[bombcar]

Yes - and you have to be exceptionally discipled, but a huge part of the GA stuff you can control (by not flying in marginal conditions, not trying to extend your range, always using checklists, etc).

But you can do all that on a motorcycle and still get creamed.

It does require you to honestly assess your ability to say "no" when conditions aren't right.

Basically what I'm getting at is there are activities that are dangerous but some the danger comes from you and others the danger comes from outside forces/other people. (Sure, I guess you could argue that you could just not ride your bike when there's other people on the road, but that's not practical).