Is Hitchhiking Dangerous?
There is a common misconception in the United States and other parts of the world that hitchhiking is extremely risky.
Loving parents and well-meaning teachers have probably told you that picking up hitchhikers is dangerous and being one yourself is a one-way ticket to certain death. Everyone has heard a story about some nameless hitchhiker that was picked up, beaten (or worse), and left for dead on the side of the road.
I'm here to tell you that with a lot of common sense and a little bit of street smarts, hitchhiking is far safer than you ever imagined, even for the fairer sex.
Sure, there are some inherent dangers involved in hitchhiking but most of those dangers have very little to do with hitchhiking itself.
Anytime you get in a car you are engaging in an inherently risky behavior. Traffic accidents are a common occurrence on the road and around 35,000 fatal accidents occur each year in the United States alone1.
Every single time you get behind the wheel you are taking a risk – and yet you’ve probably never thought of it that way.
You’ve probably always thought of driving as a great way to get from Point A to Point B and that is indeed what it is.
Hitchhiking only increases the dangers associated with driving a tiny amount and that tiny amount of increased risk is probably worth it when you consider all of the adventures you could be having!
While actual statistics for hitchhiking safety are difficult to pin down, some general data about highway safety can go a long way towards showing just how safe hitchhiking can be.
In the 30-years between 1979 and 2009, there was an estimated 675 murders and sexual assaults along interstate highways in the United States. With the interstate highway system accommodating approximately 24% of the nation’s travel, it can be assumed that an estimated 2,700 of these types of crimes occurred across all roadways in the U.S.
When you consider that the population in the United States during that period of time was 303,366,367, it can be estimated that you have a 0.0000089% chance of being murdered or raped which hitchhiking in the United States. In other words, your chances of making it through a hitchhiking trip without being murdered or raped are pretty darn good.2
Still not convinced that hitchhiking is safe? Consider this: You are nearly three times more likely to be killed in a regular garden variety car accident that you are to be murdered when hitchhiking and you are far more likely to meet your demise by falling or accidentally shooting yourself with a gun.
To put it simply, hitchhiking has its inherent risks but so does pretty much everything we do in life. And probably the most damaging thing we can do to ourselves is live a boring, uninspired life that lacks adventure – so go live it up!
"You are nearly three times more likely to be killed in a regular garden variety car accident that you are to be murdered when hitchhiking"
But when you Hitchhike you are in a CAR. So your even more likely to die in a car accident.
Anybody missing this?
LOL! Nice point. I have yet to be in a car accident when hitchhiking though. And that's with almost 20 years experience. We got a flat once, but I said, "That sucks," and walked away. Kinda felt like a jerk afterwards. :)
Plus: Hitchhiking only increases the dangers associated with driving a tiny amount and that tiny amount of increased risk is probably worth it when you consider all of the adventures you could be having!
This would be true if every car driving by a hitchhiker was equally likely to pick him/her up, but that obviously isn't the case. The only cars that stop are driven by people who have a reason to do so.
While I agree that it is unlikely you will get murdered by someone picking you up (much more likely that a bored, lonely trucker will offer a ride), it is absolutely more dangerous than an average interaction with a stranger. It is foolish to say otherwise...
I have to disagree. For the exact reason that you state, that people who stop have a reason to do so. I have only found over the years that people who stop to give rides to hitchhikers are people who have hitchhiked themselves, or are people who are looking out for your best interests, i.e. people who think that by picking you up they are "saving" you from other people who might have a less than altruistic plan in mind.
As a hitchhiker I have never had problems with people who have offered me rides. Instead I have had problems with people in towns. People who do not travel and have never had to ask strangers for help.
As a 5'2" female, I have safely (with the exception of a skeezy trucker that realized I was a fighter) hitchiked from Illinois to California and all around the West alone. I had difficulties going further South than Memphis and have been stuck in Indiana so many times that I choose to drive East. I have met many a family with a benevolently concerned parent, interesting single older men and women that wanted company on long drives, and those who hitchhike themselves. Hitching has made for great experiences, friendships and a return to the trust in humanity many have lost. Congrats on the fantastic post about a lost mode of transportation!
Truly,
H