Of the 2,262 transportation fatalities in 1999 that did not involve highway vehicles, recreational boating and general aviation (e.g., private planes for individual and business use) together claimed the lives of 1,364 people.Commercial carriers (airlines, trains, waterborne vessels, and buses) accounted for slightly under 900 fatalities. Many of these were bystanders and others outside of vehicles.

Transportation Fatality Rates
The more people travel, the greater the risk they incur. Thus, using the absolute numbers of fatalities to compare the safety of a given mode over time (table 1) can be misleading, since any change in the fatality numbers might be explained by a change in the amount of transportation activity. A clearer picture can be derived from exposure rates. Exposure rates are calculated by dividing the absolute numbers of fatalities (or other adverse outcome) by an activity measure, such as number of trips, number of miles traveled, or number of hours of vehicle operation.