Why did the accident rate decrease in 2021 even though total accidents increased?

• A. Increased flight activity
• B. Better weather forecasting
• C. More younger pilots
• D. Stricter regulations

Answer: (A)

Accident rate depends on exposure, not just the total number of accidents. It’s calculated as accidents divided by how much flying happened. If flight activity jumps a lot, the denominator grows faster than the numerator, so the rate can drop even though the total accidents rise. In 2021, flying recovered strongly, so there were many more flight hours. That larger level of activity reduced the rate of accidents per unit of activity, even though more accidents occurred in total.

Other options don’t fit because they don’t explain why the rate would fall while total accidents rise: better weather forecasting can improve safety but doesn’t directly account for a lower rate with more total incidents; more younger pilots would typically push the rate up; stricter regulations often reduce total accidents or change exposure rather than produce a lower rate with a higher total.