A generalization that I often hear for open water diving is that the drive to a dive place is more dangerous than diving itself, at least considering the time s

A generalization that I often hear for open water diving is that the drive to a dive place is more dangerous than diving itself, at least considering the time spent on the highway compared to the much shorter duration that is the dive. That said, it does require a lot of training and certification, and people need to maintain that training and their gear. It not so much that kicking up a little dirt will kill you (it generally won't), but that a combination of complacency, stress and panic will kill you. In that it is again similar to driving in that in generally it is not the car or even the highway speeds that kills people, but rather complacency and a lack of attention to the road and traffic. Random tire explosion on the highway is a real risk, but even that is usually a lack of attention to maintenance.