Fewer Norwegians have fear of flying

NorwegianNorwegian.Photo. Norway Today Media

Fear of flying in Norway has declined since the 1980s according to a new study.

In 1986, 5% of Norway’s population never travelled in a plane because they had what the researchers call ‘’serious aversion’’. 29 years later, in 2015, the figure was 0.5% wrote Forskning.no.

The researchers behind the study believe that the reason why Norwegians are less afraid now is that we fly more.

“We slowly become calmer when we learn that our horror fantasies do not happen, and that reality is becoming increasingly widespread. In addition, you get an effect of people flying more and getting more used to it. Many begin to fly at a younger age, which means that as a child you learn that it is safe to fly’’ said professor and specialist in psychiatry, Øyvind Ekeberg to the website.

Many more also muffled the fear with alcohol or sedative tablets in the 80s compared to now. In 1986, 11% of those who flew always drank alcohol on their trips, 29 years later the figure was reduced to 7.5%.

In the case of sedative tablets, 3% took them in 1986, while 2% did so in 2015.

Ekeberg says that the risk of aircraft accidents is so small that they are unable to find any quantitative concept for how small it is and that it is therefore adequate so say that it is zero.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today

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