In the U.S. approximately 360 people die each year in general aviation accidents, or about 1 a day. This is in comparison to 43,000 killed each year in cars, or 117 a day.
I have no idea how many are injured in either category.
The trick to avoiding your being one of those ‘one a day’ fatalities is to know, understand, and stick by your personal limitations. If the wind is higher than you’d prefer, either at your departure airport, or at your arrival airport, then don’t go. If the ceilings are too low, or are threatening to go too low, don’t go. If there is violent weather on your route of flight, don’t go, etc, etc, etc.
Remember you have control, and you make the decisions. As had been said many times before, most pilots kill themselves by flying into conditions they are not prepared for, or not trained for, or by doing stupid things at low altitude. Famous last words from many a pilot have been, “Hey watch this!”
Watch your instruments, believe your instruments, pay attention to what’s going on outside the cockpit, and if you’re renting an aircraft, spend a little time in the maintenance area before deciding if you really want to rent their aircraft.
I learned to fly at 50 and now having just turned 60, I have over 650 hours. Of all things I’ve learned to do in my adult life, flying has given me the greatest pleasure. If that means I must eventually pay the highest price, well it was never my plan to lay in bed waiting for it anyway.
LIVE your life, don’t sit around worrying about what might happen, get out there and do it!
Just be sensible, that’s all.
Regards,
White Bear.