You're never going to get a straight, factual answer. There are to many variables. Say if you were driving on a highway or through a neighborhood, you could never "equal" rock climbing, or visa versa.
If you're just trying to see what people think then ok, great, just don't make a poll(or have every person that votes explain why they think what they do).
You're never going to get a straight, factual answer. There are to many variables.
Agreed. The best you could do would be to compare how many deaths and how many injuries occur per person per hour of climbing compared to the same for driving.
For climbing, I'm not aware of any statistics beyond the numbers of reported deaths per year. (I bet Majid has them). But then you still need to find the total numbers of climbers, and how many hours they climb a year.
You could try to make some estimates, but good luck.
Demographically, more people are injured each year in automobile accidents than in climbing accidents.
However, inherintly, there is a great amount of risk assumed when one engages in the sport of climbing because there usually aren't "little" accidents. Most climbing accidents result in moderate to severe trauma or death.
However, we, as climbers, accept that risk and do our utmost to minimize it by using our safety gear appropriately and being mindful of our own limitations (ie knowing better than to go climbing when 3 sheets to the wind - I've done a few rescues of drunk college students stranded atop MRC)
Most drivers don't consciously think about the risks inherint in driving a vehicle. it's not at the forfront of their mind as soon as they start the engine. It's just something that is done a lot on autopilot. Perhaps if people approached driving like climbers approach the rock, we would see fewer vehicular deaths.
Demographically, more people are injured each year in automobile accidents than in climbing accidents.
However, inherintly, there is a great amount of risk assumed when one engages in the sport of climbing because there usually aren't "little" accidents. Most climbing accidents result in moderate to severe trauma or death.
However, we, as climbers, accept that risk and do our utmost to minimize it by using our safety gear appropriately and being mindful of our own limitations (ie knowing better than to go climbing when 3 sheets to the wind - I've done a few rescues of drunk college students stranded atop MRC)
Most drivers don't consciously think about the risks inherint in driving a vehicle. it's not at the forfront of their mind as soon as they start the engine. It's just something that is done a lot on autopilot. Perhaps if people approached driving like climbers approach the rock, we would see fewer vehicular deaths.
I agree that we don't have all the statistics, but one thing I do know is that 43,000 people a year die in car accidents in the US. Alot of these involve people who aren't wearing seatbelts. User error? Almost every time I am in a car, there is some asshole who nearly hits me. Any climbing injury I have incurred was admittedly my fault. At least the danger of climbing is something I control - the danger of a vehicle includes every other insane American on the road.
You have more control climbing than you do in a car. You can control what you climb, how you build your anchor, what decisions you make to keep you safe. On the road you cant stop some dumbass from T-Boning you in the middle of the intersection.
Driving has definitely got to be more dangerous. I don't personally know anyone thats been killed climibng, and only heard of a select few. Meanwhile half my damn graduating class took the darwin train to purgatory "car surfing" so off of my experience, yes, you will die on the road before you do it on the rock.
(alpinists not included - go eat your 5000 calories and huddle in the snow! :D)
depends what type of climbing you do; i've been in two car wrecks, and i've been in climbing situations where if i fell i'd be seriously injured or dead; for me, climbing has been more dangerous
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LOL 
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