The causes of airplane accidents are varied. Pilot error, design flaws in the airplane, faulty equipment, non-compliance with FAA rules and regulations, and error on the part of an air traffic controller are all causes of airplane accidents. Because of the speed at which an airplane flies, the height it is able to achieve, and the different terrains it flies over, airplane accidents almost always result in serious injury and death. Although airplane travel is considered safer than traveling by automobile, airplane accidents are increasing due to the additional number of daily flights that now accommodate the hundreds of thousands of travelers that fly each day.