Defying gravity in a large metal tube can be a nerve-racking experience. There has been much public discourse lately on what people are afraid of and why. Dave Ropeik of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis recently wrote a thoughtful article for The Washington Post on the subject. He says there are some universal perception factors that make many people afraid of the same things. One of these is control versus no control .
People feel in control when they are driving.
When you feel you have control you are less afraid. Another perception factor is catastrophic versus chronic . Another perception factor is trust versus distrust , which risk experts say may be the most important factor. It's an election year, so the debate on the proper role of the federal government and its programs has heated up. People forget what happens without government programs.