Re: Risk vs. Perception Study (Worries: Yours vs. experts)

["Bjorn Cedervall" <bcradsafers@HOTMAIL.COM>]

I saved the popular SCIENCE, October 1985 which had risks as the theme. The 

intro text "We have nothing to fear" by William F Allman was followed by a 

bunch of tables and graphs. One of the tables has the title: Do your worries 

match those of the experts? The ranking below refers to the risk of dying 

any one year from various activities and technologies. I assume that the 

numbers refer to the U.S. (hand guns are probably ten times worse statistics 

for the U.S. as compared to Sweden for instance, essentially no football in 

Europe).



Certainly there is room for debate regarding the some of the numbers - are 

they estimates - or what do they cover? (as examples: 1. Spray cans - is 

that skin cancer & freons or just the risk of fire or explosions? 2. Skiing 

- what kind of skiing?). The order below is according to ranking by the 

public, E refers to the experts:



1. Nuclear Power (E=20)

2. Motor vehicles (E=1)

3. Handguns (E=4)

4. Smoking (E=2)

5. Motorcycles (E=6)

6. Alcoholic beverages (E=3)

7. General (private) aviation (E=12)

8. Police work (E=17)

9. Pesticides (E=8)

10. Surgery (E=5)

11. Fire fighting (E=18)

12. Large construction (E=13)

13. Hunting (E=23)

14. Spray cans (E=26)

15. Mountain climbing (E=29)

16. Bicycles (E=15)

17. Commercial aviation (E=16)

18. Electric power (nonnuclear, E=9)

19. Swimming (E=10)

20. Contraceptives (E=11)

21. Skiing (E=30)

22. X-rays (E=7)

23. High school and college football (E=27)

24. Railroads (E=19)

25. Food preservatives (E=14)

26. Food coloring (E=21)

27. Power mowers (E=28)

28. Prescription antibiotics (E=24)

29. Home appliances (E=22)

30. Vaccinations (E=25)



Bjorn Cedervall   bcradsafers@hotmail.com





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