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by ET3 4956 days ago
You are correct that reasonable people do not fear what is safe. Phobia rules the minds of the irrational. Many refuse to fly in a commercial jet in spite of the fact it is 1/15th the risk of driving in a car the same distance. 1/3 of Americans have never been in an aircraft of any kind, and another 1/3 fly less than 1 time per year. Americans fly more than most other nations, yet air travel in the us is only 7% of passenger miles. Others have phobia about being in a small enclosed space like a car, and even more people have unfounded fears of being in large vehicles like trains, planes and buses with hundreds of strangers, however the unreasoned fears do not prevent the success of our transportation modes (even relatively risky modes like bikes).