| Skydiving, like all other adventure sports, has its share | | | | deaths in skydiving is one in 3800 divers. Or it can be |
| of accidents and fatalities. There is no adventure | | | | put as one in every 76000 jumps. This is a statistics |
| without any inherent risks. But with the development of | | | | taken about 20 years earlier. It is quite logical to |
| modern protective gear for this adventure sport, the | | | | conclude that the accident rate and fatality rate would |
| probability of risk has been reduced considerably. | | | | be considerably reduced because of the technological |
| Nowadays, there are indoor facilities for beginner | | | | advances made in manufacturing diving gear at |
| skydivers. They can learn the basic aspects of the | | | | present. |
| adventure sport and then venture out to the open | | | | In another survey, the fatality rates of other activities |
| skies. As a result of these improvements, skydiving | | | | were compared with that of skydiving. It was found |
| statistics dealing with the accidents and fatalities | | | | that the fatality rates of other, more regular incidents |
| provide a brighter picture now. | | | | such as highway accidents (43990 people), drowning |
| Skydiving instructors often say that the risk associated | | | | (1171 people), and airline accidents (1399 people) were |
| with the sport can be minimized if one stays within the | | | | much higher than that of skydiving. But one has to |
| prescribed limits and follows the instructions carefully. A | | | | keep in mind that a very large number of people |
| majority of the accidents are caused by the | | | | undertake the activities such as road travel and air |
| recklessness of the divers and the malfunctioning of | | | | travel. So the number of fatalities will naturally be |
| the diving equipment. But the technological advances in | | | | higher. But what one needs to understand from the |
| manufacturing diving gear have more or less eliminated | | | | skydiving statistics is that the fatality rate of skydiving |
| the malfunctioning of the equipment. So, the skydiving | | | | is not frighteningly high. |
| statistics look impressive in terms of low risk | | | | Other than the technological advances, another factor |
| compared with the statistics of some other adventure | | | | plays an important role in brightening the skydiving |
| sports. | | | | statistics. Since this is known as an extremely |
| The following is an oft-quoted skydiving statistics that | | | | adventurous sport, the participants exhibit extreme |
| is excerpted from the sixth edition of the famous book, | | | | care and caution while indulging in the sport. They train |
| Parachuting: A Skydiver' Handbook, written by Dan | | | | and practice well and religiously carry out the |
| Poynter. In 1987, from about 110000 people participated | | | | instructions. These days, it can be safely declare that if |
| in skydiving, 29 people were killed. It is estimated that | | | | one dives carefully and follows the instructions |
| each participant made an average of about 200 | | | | correctly, there is near-zero chances of an accident |
| jumps per year. That means the rate of accident | | | | occurring in skydiving. |