"Stefan" wrote in message
...
Comparing aviation and pedestrians by looking at the accident rate per
mile is sheer nonsense.

I disagree. I see your underlying point: that no one chooses between walking
and flying as a means of getting to a particular destination. But people
often do have a choice between walking and driving, or between driving and
flying, so it makes sense to compare the per-mile fatality rates for those
pairs. And if you're going to do that, then it's not unreasonable to also
consider how all three compare on the same scale.

--Gary