But that's what I'm saying? If the market is happy tomorrow, you might expect Yahoo to pick up some steam, but of course that doesn't make it any more of a viable company.
Indeed the relative comparisons are at the heart of the problem. They come so natural to humans. Everybody drives daily, how dangerous can it be? This very poster attests to the fact that he feels perfectly safe in a multi-ton steel vehicle moving at 65 mph, propelled forward by repeated explosions (well, that part is a bit hyperbole).
So while society tells you it's perfectly safe and why don't you think about those terrorists thousands of miles away, just looking at the absolute numbers for traffic related mortality tells us that the problem is very freaking huge.
The most important figure to monitor though is not mortality/car-distance, but traffic mortality/population. Let me rephrase that in plain English. Care about creating a safer car driving environment, but care even much more about your loved ones surviving traffic in good health.
In addition to lowering mortality/car-distance, one can reduce traffic mortality/population in two significant ways: shifting traffic from car to safer means of transport, and lowering total car-distance. This holds true both on individual and society level.
I'm going to deliberately provocate now by comparing to a very sensitive number. Just hoping it will wake up at least someone.
Improve road infrastructure safety to Dutch standards? Prevent over four 9/11's per year (12850 deaths).
Improve transportation culture to Dutch standards? Prevent up to eight 9/11's per year (24007 deaths).
