The latest statistics from World Atlas show that in the 15 most dangerous countries for terrorism 29,740 people died in a single year. But a little research has turned up some interesting facts that throw a wet blanket on terrorism compared with other ways to die. The same 15 countries have also claimed the lives of 392,444 people in road crashes during the same period. Here are the comparisons:
Country Terrorism Deaths Road Deaths
1 Iraq 12,799 9,962
2 Syria 7,011 4,669
3 Pakistan 4,279 30,131
4 Afghanistan 1,704 6,209
5 Lebanon 1,304 942
6 India 438 238,562
7 Somalia 408 2,000 Est.
8 Yemen 392 5,698
9 Libya 306 1,000 Est.
10 United States 272 36,166
11 Turkey 241 7,255
12 Russia 221 27,991
13 Egypt 211 10,729
14 Philippines 210 8,499
15 Thailand 154 26,312
1 Iraq 12,799 9,962
2 Syria 7,011 4,669
3 Pakistan 4,279 30,131
4 Afghanistan 1,704 6,209
5 Lebanon 1,304 942
6 India 438 238,562
7 Somalia 408 2,000 Est.
8 Yemen 392 5,698
9 Libya 306 1,000 Est.
10 United States 272 36,166
11 Turkey 241 7,255
12 Russia 221 27,991
13 Egypt 211 10,729
14 Philippines 210 8,499
15 Thailand 154 26,312
TOTALS 29,740 392,444
From the table above we can see that people living in India are 545 times more likely to die in an auto accident than by an act of terrorism. People in Thailand are 170 times more likely to die in an auto accident, and Americans (who spends billions fighting terrorism) are 133 times more exposed to fatal road crashes than to acts of terrorism. In Russia 126 people die in road accidents to each death by terrorism.
Overall, in the 15 countries listed above, people are on average 13 times more likely to die in a road accident. Only three countries; Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, have a death rate by terrorism that exceeds the death rate due to road accidents.
Worldwide, 32,700 deaths occurred due to terrorism while 1.24 million died in road crashes during the same period. This makes a world average of 38 road deaths for each terrorism death. Let's not start on the statistics for homicide, heart attack, stroke, and accidents at home or work. That's a huge can of worms compared with terrorism.
So why is it so important to have a war on terrorism rather than a war on road deaths? In any case, isn't the war on terror a bit like raping to protect virginity?
Why is the world so pre-occupied with terrorism while more than a million die every year in road crashes? Why are governments going to such lengths to protect their borders and to screen suspicious-looking and different-looking new arrivals, while inside the border road madness kills someone every few minutes?
Perhaps it is nothing more than a matter of what makes news and what does not. A terror attack like September 11 certainly gets the attention. But the 3,000 deaths from September 11 are equalled every month of every year on American roads. Tragically, death on the roads is so common that it has become acceptable - until it happens in one's own family.
The truth about terrorism and road safety is that governments around the world lack realistic leadership. They allow their legislatures to be run by mass hysteria. There is nothing new in that. The great showman dictators from history knew so well how to plug into the mob mentality. US presidential candidate Donald Trump (the politician who is not a politician) knows about that too. He talks about little other than what he will do with terrorists and immigrants. I'll wager that he doesn't have a plan for making America's roads safer.
What is the United Nations doing about road safety? Nothing! Yet there is so much that the UN could do if they too weren't so concerned with terrorism. The UN is in a unique position to turn road safety around by creating a special UN agency for road safety. Similar UN organisations exist and operate successfully for aviation and shipping. The aim should be to standardise and upgrade all things automotive worldwide.
If the UN could get its act together, the annual road toll of 1.24 million lives lost could be reduced to under 1 million within five years and bellow half a million within ten years. But even then the numbers killed on the roads will be many times higher than those killed by terrorists.
It's time to get the priorities right.
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