Why does everyone have an irrational fear of hitchhiking?
January 9th, 2008 by Tim Uden
I was interviewed on ABC Radio yesterday afternoon to introduce a phone-in topic about hitchhiking.
Basically I was asked about my opinions on hitchhiking and was asked to give advice for anyone thinking about this type of travel. Most of the advice can be found on the BUG Australia hitchhiking pages.
Another major topic was the fear that many people have about hitchhiking. All travel has its risks and hitchhiking certainly isn’t as safe as riding a train or plane, but the general perception of the dangers is grossly overestimated and it is not as dangerous as most people would have you believe. It is a safer form of transport than cycling in traffic.
There are a lot of people with irrational prejudices against hitchhiking and it is important to work towards dispelling myths while also recogising the dangers and advising ways to minimise the risk.
Basically millions of people hitchhike every year with no adverse incidents and the biggest dangers concern being hit by passing traffic or being involved in a car accident. However all motorists and pedestrians face similar dangers.