Safety in numbers is the theory that by being part of a large group, an individual member is proportionally less likely to be the victim of a mishap, accident, or other bad event.
Examples of safety in numbers include flocks of birds and shoals of fish. In both of these instances, by being part of a large group, individuals face less risk of falling victim to predators than they would if operating independently.
Safety in numbers is also used to describe a conclusion by the author of a study that larger numbers of pedestrians and bicyclists using the roads in a given area improves their safety[1]. That conclusion is controversial, as that study apparently did not use data collection methods which would properly allow a causal relationship to be established[2].
When the London Congestion Charge was introduced, the number of cyclists approximately doubled, but the number of fatalities stayed the sameVorlage:Fact. Similar results have been observed in other areas where cycling numbers have increased significantlyVorlage:Fact.
References
Vorlage:Ecology-stub
Vorlage:Psych-stub