Everyone dies, but almost nobody expects to die today. Yet, accidents do happen. In 2017, accidents and unintentional injuries were the third-most-common cause of death of Americans. Although we live in a remarkably safe world by historical standards, many of us needlessly increase our risk of sickness, injury and even death without realizing it. Let’s look at a hypothetical day and see which choices have the greatest potential benefits to our well-being.

Getting to work

It’s 8 a.m. and you’re going to work. How will you get there? Usually that’s a question of convenience and cost, not safety. Maybe it shouldn’t be. Although most people know that some transport methods are safer than others, few understand how vast the differences are.

When it comes to traffic fatalities, “motorcycles are a real outlier,” said Ian Savage, professor of economics at Northwestern University. According to his research, motorcycles are 29 times more deadly per passenger-mile than cars. That makes cars look good by comparison, but there are even safer ways to travel. Per mile, trains are about 17 times safer than cars, while buses are about 67 times safer. That makes buses approximately 1,930 times safer than motorcycles. Commercial airlines, which few people fly daily, are over 3,000 times safer than motorcycles, and about 100 times safer per passenger-mile than cars.

Of course, statistics can’t capture your exact risk. Dr. Savage explained that young men and those under the influence of alcohol or drugs account for a disproportionate number of traffic fatalities. If you avoid risky behaviors like speeding or driving while drunk or distracted, you can increase your safety.