Last week’s commuter train crash in New Jersey has left people wondering how safe our transportation system really is. We can answer this question with data from National Transportation Statistics, which show passenger miles, fatalities, and injuries by mode of transportation since 1990.
| Mode | 1990-1999 | Last 10 Years | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Air | 0.3 | 0.0 | -92.5% |
| Highway | 10.8 | 8.0 | -31.3% |
| Bus | 5.1 | 4.4 | -13.9% |
| Light Rail | 14.0 | 13.5 | -3.4% |
| Heavy Rail | 7.6 | 4.5 | -40.5% |
| Commuter Rail | 11.7 | 8.9 | -23.7% |
| Amtrak | 35.9 | 33.2 | -7.5% |
The statistics show transit data only through 2012, but the Federal Transit Administration has safety data for the years since then. Unfortunately, the Federal Railroad Administration, not the Federal Transit Administration, monitors commuter rail safety, and it doesn’t seem to publish those numbers, so we only have them through 2012.
