New figures on accident risk for different for modes of transport

Berlin. Years of disregard for maintenance schedules in Berlin, broken axles, problems with wheel bogies – seldom has there been so much discussion about rail transport safety than in the last few months. However, as the latest figures for 2008 show: travelling by train in Germany is safer than ever. In comparison with cars, rail transport has even managed to increase its safety record.

As announced by the Pro-Rail Alliance on Wednesday in Berlin, when compared with car travel, the railway’s long-term average safety advantage rose from factor 90 to 96 (risk of injury) and from 47 to 63 (risk of fatality). In other words: per person and kilometre travelled, the risk of being killed in a car accident is 63 times higher than in a train, and the risk of injury in a car is 96 times greater than on the railways.

In comparison with bus transport, which is already much safer than cars, the long-term average is still way behind  train travel. Per person and kilometre travelled, an individual’s risk of being killed during a bus journey is 4 times greater than on the railways, and the risk of injury is 27 times greater than in a train.

“When it comes to safety, the railways are racing ahead of the competition on the roads. Cars, motorbikes and buses have practically no way of catching up. If the railways want to extend their safety advantage, which is something we are working hard to achieve, then the deficiencies that have come to light in the last few months must not be repeated,” said Dirk Flege, managing director of the Pro-Rail Alliance. The latest figures can be found in the booklet on transport safety ‘Mit Sicherheit Bahn’.