Quote:
Originally Posted by Power Junkie
To be fair i'm sure people like GM wouldn't put a car that dangerous on the roads... but i still have my fears... and i'm sure the people on the Hindenburg would probably side with me over my concerns.
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After looking at some data from the US and Canada (I got bored this afternoon), I feel confident in saying that there are more deaths per week caused by car fires than people who have died from the hindenburg disaster. Where did i get my numbers? It is estimated that there are between 400 and 750 deaths caused by car fires each year in the US alone. In the Canadian province of Alberta, with a population of just over 3 mil, there has been an average of 33 car fire deaths per year from 2001 to 2005. The hindenburg caused only 36 fatalities. Oh, we are also forgetting the Challenger space shuttle accident. The shuttle tank was filled with hydrogen and oxygen.
However, i aknowledge that the the more spectacular the disaster, the more recognition it gets. you are something like 15 to 20 times more likely do die in a car accident than in an airplane but few people are affraid of driving. Why? because when a plane crashes it is a huge event and gets alot of recognition. But car accidents happen every day, in every city.
And I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm ripping you up because of your fears. I do not intend that, I wanted to illustrate that although hydrogen is dangerous and needs to be respected, gasoline is just as dangerous but we do not fear it because it is so common. In fact, it has been said that if the situation were reversed, trying to introduce gasoline after hydrogen, it would never be allowed, too dangerous.