11 Things That Turned Out to Not Be As Dangerous As We Thought

Our world can be pretty dangerous — it is hard to argue with his. But some things are not as bad as we think. For example, sharks, who have a reputation as bloody predators, are way less harmful than cows. And going to buy a hamburger is far more risky than a mountain expedition.

Bright Side has reviewed a bunch of statistical data and is going to tell you about things that are much safer than you thought. And we are doing this in order to dispel your fears and inspire you.

1. Sharks or cows?

Despite the bad reputation that the film Jaws created for sharks, they are not the most bloodthirsty animals on the planet. Cows are much more dangerous than sharks. The likelihood of getting injured by a cow is 20 times higher than by a shark.

2. Rollercoasters or golf?

Scientists believe that a love for rollercoasters and other extreme things depends on the biochemistry of the brain — people with high levels of dopamine, constantly want to do something dangerous.

Even though rollercoasters are believed to be dangerous, statistically, it is more dangerous to play golf rather than taking a rollercoaster ride. Despite the reputation of being fairly safe, golfers often have serious sprains and herniated disks. Of course, nobody talks about this on TV.

3. Parachute or car?

According to statistics, driving a car is way more dangerous than jumping out of an airplane with a parachute. The data from the United States Parachute Association suggests that only one in 100,000 jumps leads to an accident. In other words, you would have to make 17 jumps per year to even come close to your chances of getting injured in a car crash.

4. Alligator or bath?

Statistics suggest that taking a bath is way more dangerous than swimming in a pond with alligators. It is all about our carelessness — people often take very hot baths when they are drunk. According to stats on alligator attacks, the number of people killed in their own bath is far larger.

5. Lightning or falling off the bed?

Who would have thought that falling off the bed was so dangerous? Over a span of 10 years (2004-2014), fewer people got hurt by a bolt of lightning, than by falling off their own beds. Bolts of lightning hurt about 250,000 people every year, but falling off the bed is much worse. Especially, for older people.

6. Elevator or stairs?

Fear of elevators can evolve into a real phobia. Well, it is a tight space and there are a lot of mechanisms. Stairs seem a lot safer and healthier. Or not? According to statistics, going up or down stairs is about 60 times more dangerous than taking the elevator.

7. Mountain climbing or obesity?

This point alone can help you choose a healthy lifestyle. According to statistics, mountain climbing is much safer than being overweight (and all its related illnesses). If you follow all the safety rules, climbing mountains is a lot safer than eating fast food and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

8. Plane or extension cord?

We’ll dispel another fear — the fear of flying. Experts call it aviophobia. However, according to statistics, flying is far safer than the regular extension cords that people use every day in their homes.

9. Lion or hippo?

It seems that the king of beasts might have a worthy competitor. According to statistics, lions are not as dangerous as those cute hippos. Despite their huge weight, these animals can run as fast as 19 mph, they are very aggressive, and they can wreck anything that is in their path.

10. Snowboard or furniture?

Snowboarding is one of the most dangerous sports, mostly because athletes don’t follow all the safety rules like they should and because they don’t use any protective equipment. However, even this extreme kind of sport is not as bad as... furniture, which manages to hurt way more people.

11. Meteorite or manhole?

According to statistics, the chances of dying from a meteorite are 1 in 10 million. However, on Earth, there are far more dangerous things than celestial bodies. For example, open manholes.

So, was this article able to diminish your fears?