It’s fascinating how people evaluate risk. I’m heartened to hear reports of an increase in cycling following last week’s bombs on public transport, that seems like a positive outcome, more so than, say driving a car. So whilst last night’s Trafalgar Square Vigil was totally appropriate and quite moving, it bears reminding that in 2003 3508 people were killed on Britain’s roads, that’s 9 deaths per day. Where was their vigil?
In the United States, there are nearly 43,000 traffic-related deaths each year. That number represents the death of every one of my neighbors, everyone on my block, my street, in my entire town. Three times over.
And people give me funny looks when I say the riskiest part of my travels around the country and around the world is the drive to the airport.