Passport to Death
By Rod Eime
Go on Holiday or Stay at Home?
According to DFAT's Director of Media Services, Tony Melville,
you suffer about the same risk of death, from the same causes,
travelling as you do at home.
Perhaps this claim requires some clarification? Cancer, for
example, is the largest
killer of Australians, closely followed by heart disease.
But very few Australians croak overseas from cancer on holiday
or business. Heart attack, on the other hand, is the leading
killer of travelling Australians.
Roughly 75% of those deaths will be as a result of illness,
either acquired or pre-existing. The rest will meet a violent
end through accident, misadventure or other trauma.
In 1992, 421 of the 2.3 million travellers came home by unanticipated
means (1 in 5463). In 1997 our cosmopolitan population rose
to 2,933,000 and saw 590 of us return in the cargo hold (1
in 4971). In 1996, 460 Australians came home packaged from
the 2,732,000 who took the risk (1 in 5939).
According to Tourist Industry Trends, outbound short-term
travel is increasing by at least 6% each year, but the tourist
mortality rate is something nobody is prepared to guess at.
Those with more experience than the author, suggest that
the one-in-every-5000-something is a pretty typical figure,
applicable to most years. Sure, we have good years and bad
years, but if you fly Qantas -- who have never lost a passenger
-- to established destinations, then your chances of arriving
in good working order are much better than if you drive to
work.
When you consider the vast majority of accidents happen in
and around the home, it may even be safer to stay travelling.
Recommendations - Take My Word for It
Don't travel without insurance. Cover your bags, your travel
bookings, your health and your life. If you are at risk of
kidnapping, some policies include what is known a KRE (kidnap,
rescue and extraction).
Study your destination. Know local customs and at least a
little bit of the language. Find out where to go - and where
NOT to go.
Just because the locals scorch around without crash helmets
and seat belts doesn't mean you should too. Take extra care
crossing roads, and choose public transport carefully. Don't
get pissed and try and drive/ride something.
Never carry a gun, even when permitted to do so. You are more
likely to get killed trying to use it than if you never had
one. If your destination is that dangerous, hire a bodyguard.
Consult a doctor or medical expert about your intended destination.
Australians tend to travel without inoculations nowadays -
not always a good idea, especially to many tropical countries.
Be over-careful with personal hygiene and food. Water, salads
and seafood are high-risk fare in many developing countries.
Even cleaning your teeth can make you bloody crook!
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