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Table 2
Transportation Fatalities by Mode

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Mode 1970 1980 1990 2000 2004
Large air carriera 146 1 39 92 P14
Commuter air carriera N 37 6 5 P0
On-demand air taxia N 105 51 71 P65
General aviationa 1,310 1,239 767 596 P556
Highwayb 52,627 51,091 44,599 41,945 42,636
Railroadc 785 584 599 512 P528
Transitd N N 339 295 248
Commercial ship          
Vessel 178 206 85 49 36
Nonvessele 420 281 101 88 57
Recreational boating 1,418 1,360 865 701 676
Gas and hazardous liquid pipeline 30 19 9 38 23

a Includes people on planes and on the ground. b Includes motor vehicle occupants, nonoccupants, and fatalities at railroad crossings. c Includes fatalities from nontrain incidents as well as train incidents and accidents. Also includes train occupants and nonoccupants except motor vehicle occupants at grade crossings. d Fatalities resulting from all reportable incidents, not just accidents. Includes commuter rail, heavy rail, light rail, motorbus, demand response, van pool, and automated guideway. e Fatalities unrelated to vessel accidents, e.g., individual falling overboard and drowning.

Key: N = data are nonexistent or not cited because of reporting changes; P = preliminary.

Sources: Various sources, as cited in USDOT, RITA, BTS, National Transportation Statistics, table 2-1, available at http://www.bts.gov, as of September 2005. 2004-Highway: USDOT, NHTSA, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, personal communication, October 2005; Transit: USDOT, Volpe Center, personal communication, October 2005; Recreational ­boating: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Boating Statistics 2004, available at http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/stats.htm, as of September 2005.