Off Topic Post

Drunk driver and it's not even close.  I can defend myself from a armed robber easier than a drunk driver.  If I shoot a armed robber it's no big deal, if I shoot a drunk driver then I will go to jail.

ohioschwa:

Drunk driver and it's not even close.  I can defend myself from a armed robber easier than a drunk driver.  If I shoot a armed robber it's no big deal, if I shoot a drunk driver then I will go to jail.

If there were an equal amount of armed robbery attempts per year and drunk driving trips per year, then I would assume armed robbery would be much more dangerous, since I think a much much much much higher percentage of armed robbery attempts result in death or injury than drunk driving trips do.  Obviously there are a lot more drunk drive trips taken per year than armed robbery attempts per year, thus the total number of deaths or injuries per year caused by drunk drives is probably much higher than the total number of deaths or injuries caused by armed robberies, but that still doesn't mean that the percentage of injury/death per trip/attempt is higher for drunk drives than for armed robberies. 

So, per time I would say armed robbery is much more dangerous than drunk driving, looking at percentage of injury/death per attempt.

And even if we factor in that a robber might only attempt like 5 robberies per year, whereas a drunk driver might drive drunk 40 or 50 times per year, I still think the incident-per-attempt percentage for robberies is greater than 10 times higher for robberies than for drunk drives.  So yea, by strict definition, I think I would have to guess that an armed robber is more dangerous to society on average than a drunk driver is.

The reason the total number of injuries/deaths per year caused by drunk drivers is higher than the total number of injuries/deaths per year caused by armed robbers is simply, that there are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more driving trips taken by drunk people per year than robberies attempted per year.  By a factor of like 1,000 or more or something.  So even though per attempt armed robber is maybe 50 or 100 times more dangerous, when you have 1,000+ more drunk drives being attempted per year than armed robbery attempts per year, it outweighs that 50-100 times more dangerous per attempt figure on the total injuries/deaths per year figure, obviously.

and stuff

 Wow thanks for all the replies. I was vague on purpose just to see the discussion it would bring.

The question came about because a buddy of mine was in court last week for a traffic ticket and 2 of the cases before his were an armed robbery and a DUI. The armed robber got off on probation and the drunk driver got 30 days in jail. 

mathclub:

agpmedia:

I looked up just the armed robbery statistics for texas in 2006 and it was over 1/2 million reported cases. However, couldn't find any information on fatalities. I'd still suspect drunk driving to kill more people per year than armed robbery.

i hate people misusing stats.

the question was which is more dangerous.  the total number of deaths doesn't mean anything in this context. 

ie is it more dangerous to drive a car or jump out of an aeroplane and have your chute not open??  obviously driving a car kills more people.  obviously jumping from a plan and having your chute not open is a more dangerous situation to be in.

if you're gonna take the time to go look up stats at least answer the question

This is actually quite a tricky question.

When you say "dangerous" I'd assume you mean which one can post more of a threat of physical harm? 

Or do you mean with farther reaching consequences?

anyone who says a drunk driver is more dangerous than an armed robber is a fkin retard

While I've had the dubious pleasure of facing a man with gun in hand, I'd have to say the drunk gets my vote.

agpmedia:

Umm, im sorry but your entire post is filled with illogical fallacy. Please reread and look at what you typed maybe? I gave you reported drunk driving fatality incidents PER STATE. Thats death, I would define in this context death as the lone determinant in dangerous. Therefore, knowing that 1/2 million armed robberies were commited in 2006 doesn't really say much other than to point out they happen with a higher frequency than drunk driving fatalities... which isn't really the same thing. Maybe that's what you were elluding too???

However, I could not find in the 5 mins I searched an armed robbery fatality statistics sheet for 2006 so that is what it is. Regardless, I did more work then you did and I win 1-0. :)

you are dumb.

TrafficKing:

anyone who says a drunk driver is more dangerous than an armed robber is a fkin retard

TheWacoKidd:

TrafficKing:

anyone who says a drunk driver is more dangerous than an armed robber is a fkin retard

this ^

more ppl die from drunk drivers because there are hundreds of thousands tens of millions more drunk drivers than ppl who commit armed robbery... percentage wise who is more dangerous it's not even close

Given that there are more than 400,000 armed robberies per year (in America), I would guess that there are probably around 50,000-100,000 armbed robbers in existance right now (in America).  So there are probably only a few hundred times more drunk drivers than armed robbers.  Not a few hundred thousand times more.  But the overall concept still works:

1.  Armed robbers are more dangerous than drunk drivers (based strictly on percentage of injuries/deaths occuring per attempt)

2.  More total injuries/deaths occur per year from drunk driving than from armed robberies due to the fact that way way way more people go drunk driving than armed robbing per year.  It's still less dangerous per attempt though.  Which is what counts, in a discussion about dangerousness of the activity itself.  Total figures are irrelevant.  Just like mathclub mentioned earlier.  Going skydiving without a parachute is obviously a lot more dangerous than going drunk driving, but it is equally obvious that more deaths will occur each year from drunk driving than from skydiving without a parachute, simply because not very many people go skydiving without a parachute.  It's still more DANGEROUS to go skydiving without a parachute though, just less total deaths because the activity itself is so much less common.