Why Aren't People Afraid of Cars?

This is something I've been struggling to understand. By far the single biggest risk that one can take on an average day is getting into a car and driving.

But no one fears doing such a thing.

I ran across this article, which is really only tangentially related to this blog, but points out something that I think is relevant: people think mundane risk is boring.

Terrorism is many things, but it is not mundane. Car accidents are.

The psychologist Dr Jack Boyle believes that, as a species, we need to latch on to worst-case scenarios because "medium-case" bore us.

"We likes extremes," he said, and added: "Because it is removed from our experience.

"The majority of people exhibit safe and cautious behaviour. Titillating news sells. Doomsday stories are an extension, an enjoyment of extremes which fascinate.