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Travel news and advice
LifestyleTravel & Leisure

Ranked: world’s most dangerous countries to travel in and the deadliest ways to travel

  • China is the second most dangerous place to drive in, while India is the least safe country to travel in by either road or rail
  • The US is the most dangerous place to fly in and American Airlines is the deadliest carrier, based on data from 50 years of major accidents

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Why you can trust SCMP
An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 after it crash-landed at San Francisco International Airport in California in 2013. Photo: AFP
Jamie Carter
As every frequent traveller knows, flying is safer than crossing the road. Confidence in the aviation industry is occasionally rocked by big accidents, such as the deadly Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max accidents happening within five months, but the adage remains true.

In 2018, 556 people died in flying accidents, according to the Aviation Safety Network, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that around 1.35 million people die each year in road traffic accidents.

However, did you know that the 2000s constituted the most dangerous decade for air travel? Or that China is the second deadliest country to drive in?

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A survey of the riskiest routes around the world by overseas removals company 1st Move International reveals some deadly data about trains, planes and automobiles that travellers should know before they go.

Investigators examine the remains of two Boeing 747 planes after they collided on the runway at Santa Cruz, Tenerife, in 1977 in what is still the worst accident in aviation history. Photo: AP/EFE
Investigators examine the remains of two Boeing 747 planes after they collided on the runway at Santa Cruz, Tenerife, in 1977 in what is still the worst accident in aviation history. Photo: AP/EFE
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Unpredictable planes

The number of deaths in aircraft crashes rose sharply last year, but there’s no reason for frequent fliers to panic. The 15 fatal airliner accidents was a higher number than the five-year average, but it was still the third safest year ever for commercial aviation, according to the Aviation Safety Network. Given the estimated worldwide air traffic of just under 38 million flights in 2018, the accident rate is one fatal accident per 2.5 million flights.

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