Public Sees Decline in Flight Safety, Calls It Serious Problem, Poll Says

WASHINGTON —  Almost nine out of 10 Americans believe the government “needs to make a major commitment to an overhaul” of the nation’s transportation systems, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The survey, commissioned by the country’s largest general aviation association, found that 82% view air safety as a “serious problem” and 60% agree that the deregulation of the airlines 10 years ago “has made flying less safe for everyone.”

A Transportation Department official said in response to the survey that statistics on collisions, flight delays, consumer complaints and other factors indicate that the air system is running more effectively and safely than ever.

“We obviously need to acknowledge and accept the perceptions of the public, but all of the real-life indicators seem to suggest that everything is looking up right now,” department spokesman Robert Marx said.

Notes Lack of Confidence

But John L. Baker, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn., which commissioned the poll of 1,000 adults nationwide, said the results show that the public lacks confidence in the government’s attempts to develop a cohesive national aviation policy.

Among the findings in the poll, which had a maximum sampling error of three percentage points, were that 89% of respondents favored an overhaul of America’s transportation systems, 42% viewed airplane maintenance as the main threat to air safety and 52% thought flying is less safe today than five years ago, compared to 37% who termed it more safe.