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SafetyScorer

Safety scores

Activities

We measure the risk of death in micromorts. One micromort is a one-in-a-million chance of dying, about the risk of accidents and violence in an ordinary day. Each page gives the figure per jump, dive, flight, day or 100 miles, with its source. The score combines that risk (50%) with serious injury risk (25%), how much training and good choices can reduce it (15%) and how fast help can arrive (10%).

All rated activities

  1. #1 of 53

    Train travel

    Riding a train in Britain or the EU is one of the safest ways to travel, at about 0.03 micromorts per 100 miles. Crashes that kill passengers are rare but large when they happen. The risks you can actually reduce sit on the platform, not on the train.

    Score 87, grade A

  2. #2 of 53

    Bus travel

    In Britain, buses and coaches are about as safe per mile as the train and around five to ten times safer than a car. Most bus injuries happen without a crash, when standing passengers fall. Abroad, the operator and the road matter far more.

    Score 86, grade A

  3. #3 of 53

    Flying (commercial airlines)

    A seat on a scheduled or charter passenger flight is one of the safest ways to cover long distances; only train and bus travel score higher on our list. Over 2016–2025 the chance of being killed on a random flight was about 1 in 6.7 million, and the passenger can do little to change it beyond choosing who to fly with.

    Score 85, grade A

  4. #4 of 53

    Swimming

    For a swimmer who can swim, a session in a supervised pool is one of the safest forms of exercise. The UK average is about a quarter of a micromort per swim, and most adult deaths happen in open water. The serious risk is to young children near unfenced pools and water at home.

    Score 84, grade B

  5. #5 of 53

    Driving

    Per mile, a car is a safe place to be, and per trip the risk is tiny. But people drive so much that cars still kill far more people than any sport. Seat belts, speed and sober, undistracted driving make the biggest difference.

    Score 83, grade B

  6. #6 of 53

    Pickleball

    Pickleball is one of the safer sports to take up, with a risk of death well under one micromort per game. The real risk is a fall. US emergency departments treat tens of thousands of pickleball injuries a year, three-quarters in players aged 60 to 79, and fractures of the wrist and hip are common.

    Score 83, grade B

  7. #7 of 53

    Running

    An ordinary recreational run carries well under one micromort, about 0.6 per 5 km in UK parkrun data. The rare deaths are mostly heart attacks in older men with hidden heart disease. Overuse injuries are common but seldom need a hospital, and cars are the risk runners can most easily reduce.

    Score 82, grade B

  8. #8 of 53

    Hunting

    A day of hunting carries roughly 0.5 to 2 micromorts by our estimate. Hunting shooting deaths have fallen by about 90% since the 1960s in Texas, and falls from tree stands and heart attacks are now the bigger risks. A safety harness, an unloaded gun when climbing and an honest look at your heart cut most of the risk.

    Score 80, grade B

  9. #9 of 53

    Cruise ships

    Big cruise ships rarely sink or catch fire, and the chance of dying in an accident on a typical week-long cruise is about one in a million. The more common problems are falls, stomach bugs and being days from a hospital if you fall seriously ill.

    Score 79, grade B

  10. #10 of 53

    Kayaking

    A recreational kayak outing carries roughly 0.5 to 1 micromort on US Coast Guard and participation data. Nearly all deaths are drownings after a capsize, and most of the people who drown were not wearing a life jacket, which makes kayaking one of the most controllable risks on this list.

    Score 79, grade B

  11. #11 of 53

    Marathon running

    Running a marathon carries a small risk of sudden cardiac arrest, about 1 per 100,000 finishers in the US, mostly in men with undiagnosed coronary artery disease. Deaths have halved since the 2000s because race medical teams now reach collapsed runners within minutes.

    Score 79, grade B

  12. #12 of 53

    Surfing

    An ordinary surf session carries about 0.1 micromorts on Australian data, among the lowest risks of any water sport. Injuries from your own board, the reef and the seabed are far more common than deaths, and surfers over 55 face about eight times the hourly risk of surfers under 35.

    Score 79, grade B

  13. #13 of 53

    Sailing

    A day of recreational sailing carries roughly 0.5 to 1 micromort on US Coast Guard and survey data, similar to a day of skiing. Most deaths are drownings after a fall overboard or capsize, usually without a life jacket. Serious injuries are uncommon.

    Score 78, grade B

  14. #14 of 53

    Skiing

    A day on the pistes carries under 1 micromort in US resort data, about the same as a day of ordinary life. The deaths that happen are mostly men hitting trees at speed on intermediate runs. Knee and other injuries are far more common than deaths.

    Score 78, grade B

  15. #15 of 53

    Zip-lining

    A commercial zip-line tour run to a recognised standard is low risk, roughly 0.05 to 0.5 micromorts on our order-of-magnitude estimate. The catch is that nobody counts riders, and the rider has little control. Most US emergency visits come from falls, often children on backyard or playground lines.

    Score 78, grade B

  16. #16 of 53

    Snowboarding

    A day of resort snowboarding carries under 1 micromort in US data, the same as skiing; snowboarders make up about a quarter of resort deaths, in line with their share of riders. The real risk is injury, especially wrist fractures in the first few days, which wrist guards largely prevent.

    Score 77, grade B

  17. #17 of 53

    Football (soccer)

    Deaths in football are rare and mostly sudden cardiac deaths, roughly 0.1 to 0.2 micromorts per match or training session for young players on our estimate. Injuries are the real cost, especially in matches, and Scottish data link long professional careers to a higher risk of dementia.

    Score 76, grade B

  18. #18 of 53

    Hiking

    A day of mountain hiking carries roughly 3 to 6 micromorts in Austrian estimates, about the same as a long day of driving in the US. Easy trails are safer. Hikers die mainly from falls on the descent and from heart attacks; hiking tops the mountain death tables only because so many people do it.

    Score 75, grade B

  19. #19 of 53

    Jet Skiing

    A day on a jet ski carries roughly 0.3 to 1 micromort on US Coast Guard data, close to a day of sailing. Unlike most boating deaths, jet ski deaths are mostly from trauma rather than drowning, because riders usually wear life jackets but collide at speed. Rented craft feature in nearly a third of incidents.

    Score 75, grade B

  20. #20 of 53

    Via ferrata

    Clipped in with a proper via ferrata set, a fall is rarely fatal. Austrian police data show most deaths come from climbers who were not clipped in, often on easy sections, plus heart problems. Our rough estimate is 0.5 to 2 micromorts per route, but nobody counts how many people climb, so treat it as a range.

    Score 75, grade B

  21. #21 of 53

    Walking

    Mile for mile, walking along roads is about as risky as cycling and far riskier than riding in a car. But walkers are slow and go short distances, so the risk per walk or per hour is tiny and the health gains far outweigh it. Most pedestrian deaths happen in the dark, away from crossings.

    Score 75, grade B

  22. #22 of 53

    Scuba diving

    Recreational scuba diving carries about 2 to 5 micromorts per dive, close to a skydive. Most deaths begin with a manageable problem, usually running low on gas, and about a quarter involve a heart event, mostly in older divers.

    Score 74, grade B

  23. #23 of 53

    Bungee jumping

    A bungee jump at a well-run commercial site is a rare cause of death, on the order of 2 micromorts per jump, though no official register exists. When jumps go wrong the cause is usually the operator's equipment or procedure, so choosing the operator is the main safety decision a jumper makes.

    Score 73, grade B

  24. #24 of 53

    Hot-air ballooning

    A commercial balloon ride carries roughly 2 micromorts, close to a skydive or a bungee jump. Most flights end safely, but nearly all accidents happen on landing, and the rare disasters (power lines, basket fires) kill many people at once. The pilot and the weather decide almost everything.

    Score 73, grade B

  25. #25 of 53

    Mountain biking

    Deaths are rare, roughly a quarter of a micromort per ride on Austrian data, and more than half of them are heart problems on the climb rather than crashes. Injuries are the real risk. Going over the handlebars on descents and jumps causes broken collarbones and wrists, and sometimes head and spinal cord injuries.

    Score 73, grade B

  26. #26 of 53

    Open-water swimming

    For a confident adult swimmer in calm water, a swim in a lake or the sea carries roughly 0.5 to 2 micromorts on our UK-based estimate. The risk climbs in cold water, in races and for men over 60, and most deaths happen where no lifeguard is watching.

    Score 72, grade B

  27. #27 of 53

    Cycling

    Per mile, cycling on the road is more than ten times riskier than travelling by car, at roughly 2 micromorts per 100 miles in Britain. But most rides are short, and studies find that the health benefits of regular cycling far outweigh the risk of a crash.

    Score 71, grade B

  28. #28 of 53

    Skydiving

    A single skydive carries a small but real risk, about 4 in a million on recent US figures, higher in older data. Most deaths and injuries now come from landing errors under a working canopy, not from parachutes failing, so training and conservative canopy choice matter most.

    Score 71, grade B

  29. #29 of 53

    American football

    Deaths in organised US football are rare, under 1 per 100,000 high-school players a season, and most are from heat stroke and heart problems rather than collisions. The bigger concern is the brain. Concussions are common in games, and the odds of CTE rise with every year played.

    Score 70, grade B

  30. #30 of 53

    ATV and Quad Biking

    An average ATV ride in the US carries roughly 0.4 to 1 micromort, similar to a horse ride, but about 580 people a year die on ATVs and around 100,000 off-road vehicle riders end up in emergency rooms. Rollovers, riding on roads, carrying passengers and children on adult-size machines drive most deaths.

    Score 70, grade B

  31. #31 of 53

    Helicopter tours

    A sightseeing helicopter flight carries roughly 2 to 5 micromorts, similar to a skydive and far more than an airline flight. US tours flown under the looser Part 91 rules crash about three times as often per hour as Part 135 operations. Bad weather and mechanical failure cause most fatal crashes.

    Score 70, grade B

  32. #32 of 53

    White-water rafting

    A guided white-water rafting day carries roughly 4 to 7 micromorts on recent Colorado data, about the same as a skydive. Most river deaths happen on private trips, and the people who die on guided trips are often older, unfit or inexperienced paddlers thrown into cold, fast water.

    Score 70, grade B

  33. #33 of 53

    Horse riding

    The risk of death on a single ride is low, about half a micromort on the best-known estimate, but riding injures many people, mostly through falls and kicks. Head injuries cause most deaths, older and male riders are more likely to die when hurt, and a certified helmet is the single best protection.

    Score 69, grade C

  34. #34 of 53

    E-bikes

    Per mile, an e-bike in Germany is somewhat riskier than an ordinary bike, at about 2.5 micromorts per 100 miles against 1.4, mostly because e-bike riders are older. US emergency visits have risen steeply since 2021. Battery fires are a separate, mostly preventable risk at home.

    Score 68, grade C

  35. #35 of 53

    Rugby

    Death on a rugby pitch is rare, roughly half a micromort per adult match on South African data. Injuries are the real cost. Concussion is the most common match injury in English professional and community rugby, and former elite players face a higher risk of neurodegenerative disease.

    Score 68, grade C

  36. #36 of 53

    E-scooters

    Per mile, riding an e-scooter looks roughly as deadly as cycling, though no government publishes an exact rate. Most rides are short, so the risk per ride is small. Injuries are common, and riders hit their heads more often than cyclists or motorcyclists. Speed, alcohol, helmets and road choice make a large difference.

    Score 67, grade C

  37. #37 of 53

    Private flying

    A small private plane carries about 7 micromorts per flight hour on recent US figures, far more than an airline flight or the same trip by car. About 70% of accidents trace to the pilot, so recurrent training and strict personal limits matter most.

    Score 67, grade C

  38. #38 of 53

    Safari

    Wildlife rarely kills tourists on an organised safari in Kenya or Tanzania. The real risks are road crashes on long transfers, malaria and, less often, crime. No one counts safari deaths against safari trips, so our estimate of about 1 micromort per day, 5 to 15 per trip, is rough.

    Score 63, grade C

  39. #39 of 53

    Hang gliding

    Hang gliding carries about 8 micromorts per flight, roughly twice a skydive and a little below paragliding. Most accidents happen at launch or landing and come from pilot decisions, so training, a strict pre-flight routine and the weather call matter most.

    Score 62, grade C

  40. #40 of 53

    Paragliding

    Paragliding is riskier per flight than skydiving or scuba diving, at about 14 micromorts per flight on the best UK estimate. Almost all accidents come from pilot decisions and handling rather than equipment, so the weather call and staying within your skill level matter most.

    Score 60, grade C

  41. #41 of 53

    Rock climbing

    Outdoor rock climbing in the mountains carries about 3 to 7 micromorts per hour, so a long day on alpine rock can match several skydives. Indoor and bolted sport climbing are far safer. Most serious accidents come from falls, rockfall and rope-handling mistakes such as belay, lowering and abseil errors.

    Score 60, grade C

  42. #42 of 53

    Free diving

    Breath-hold diving for seafood carries about 20 micromorts per trip on New Zealand counts (roughly 15 to 30), several times the risk of a scuba dive. Blackout from lack of oxygen is common and gives no warning. With a trained buddy watching every dive it is rarely fatal; alone, it usually is.

    Score 59, grade C

  43. #43 of 53

    Ice climbing

    Ice climbing is riskier than rock climbing but rarer, so deaths are few in absolute terms. We estimate roughly 15 to 40 micromorts per day on frozen waterfalls. Most injuries are cuts and bruises from falling ice, while deaths come from leader falls, collapsing ice and avalanches.

    Score 54, grade D

  44. #44 of 53

    Motorcycling

    Riding a motorbike is the riskiest everyday activity on our list. Per 100 miles, a rider faces about 12 micromorts in Britain and about 31 in the US, and serious injuries are common. A helmet, protective gear, training and sobriety cut the risk a lot, but other drivers cause many crashes.

    Score 51, grade D

  45. #45 of 53

    Cave diving

    Cave diving is among the riskiest sports we score per outing. British data for 1981–2005 give about 250 micromorts per dive overall, about 35 to 70 for qualified, experienced divers and nearly 900 for divers without cave training. Most deaths follow the same path, getting lost or low on gas with no way straight up.

    Score 45, grade D

  46. #46 of 53

    Boxing

    Training and fitness boxing are low risk, but a professional fight is one of the riskiest things a sportsperson does in a single evening, at about 1 brain-injury death per 5,000 bouts. The bigger long-term threat is the build-up of head blows over a career, which is linked to dementia in professional boxers.

    Score 41, grade D

  47. #47 of 53

    Climbing Kilimanjaro

    Kilimanjaro needs no technical skill, which is why it catches people out. Roughly 10 people die there each year among 30,000 to 40,000 climbers, about 200 to 300 micromorts per climb, mostly from fluid on the lungs at altitude. A slower route and turning back at the first serious symptoms help most.

    Score 36, grade F

  48. #48 of 53

    Mountaineering

    Climbing glaciated peaks such as Mont Blanc, Rainier or Denali is one of the riskiest common sports. Studies put one Rainier ascent at about 300 micromorts, and Denali park data give about 1,400 per attempt in 2021–2025. Most deaths are falls, often on the way down, followed by avalanches and rockfall.

    Score 29, grade F

  49. #49 of 53

    BASE jumping

    BASE jumping is among the most dangerous activities on our list. One jump carries a 200 to 800 in a million chance of death in studies from Norway and Switzerland, and wingsuit flying now accounts for most of the dead.

    Score 26, grade F

  50. #50 of 53

    Motorcycle Racing

    Racing on closed public roads such as the Isle of Man TT is among the deadliest sports we rate, at several thousand micromorts per rider per race meeting, close to an Everest expedition. Circuit racing on purpose-built tracks with run-off and gravel traps kills far fewer riders, though broken bones remain common.

    Score 24, grade F

  51. #51 of 53

    Wingsuit BASE jumping

    Flying a wingsuit off a cliff or mountain is among the deadliest things people do for fun. A BASE jump carries about 200 to 800 micromorts, and wingsuits were involved in 137 of 223 recorded BASE deaths in 2007–2017. Wingsuit skydiving from a plane is a different and much safer activity.

    Score 24, grade F

  52. #52 of 53

    Climbing Mount Everest

    Of everything we rate, only K2 is riskier than Everest. About 1 in 140 people who climbed above base camp in 2007–2024 died, and most climbers who die do so on summit day, often on the way down. Risk has halved since the 1980s and 1990s, but no amount of money removes avalanches, falls and extreme altitude.

    Score 14, grade F

  53. #53 of 53

    Climbing K2

    K2 is harder and more remote than Everest, and its death toll shows it. About 96 people have died against roughly 800 summits. Guided teams cut the rate to about 1 death per 100 summits in 2022–2023, but rockfall, ice cliffs and storms still decide many outcomes.

    Score 13, grade F