Overview:
Have you ever wondered what is the deadliest sport in the world or what are the most dangerous sports to play? We’ll go down the list and find answers to these questions.
What Are the Most Dangerous Sports in the World for Injuries & Deaths in [2024]
Did you ever stop to think that your favorite sport might affect the cost of your new life insurance premiums?
Several dangerous sports and hobbies could impact your chances of receiving the best rates.
This article will cover the most dangerous sports in America that could cause you to pay more than you expected for life insurance.
Some of these sports will surprise you. Sometimes a hazardous sport can impact your application, like a serious health condition.
A sport that someone might have been active in for many years may be considered one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
Table of Contents
- Can Having a Dangerous Sport Affect My Rates?
- Do Many People Die Base Jumping Each Year?
- How Many Scuba Divers Die Each Year?
- How Many People Die Skydiving Each Year?
- Is Bull Riding a Sport With Fatalities?
- How Dangerous is Motorsports Racing?
- How Many People Are Killed by Ice Climbing?
- How Hazardous is Hang Gliding?
- Is Hot Air Ballooning a Dangerous Sport?
- In Conclusion
Can a Dangerous Sport Affect My Life Insurance Rates?
A dangerous sport can increase your rates just as easily as a medical condition can, sometimes even more.
Having a dangerous sport can impact your rates quickly, if not more than a health condition can. In addition, hazardous sports increase the risk the life insurance companies take. As a result, life insurance companies spend thousands of dollars developing statistics yearly.
These statisticians compile a large quantity of information, so the life insurance carriers determine a person’s lifespan and, in this case, the lifespan of a person with a dangerous sport.
Being involved in a dangerous sport can change your health classification to compensate the life insurance company for the extra risk. A life insurance company can modify your health classification to increase your rate for the added risk or apply a flat extra fee to your standard premium. Sometimes it can also be a combination of both.
Most Dangerous Sports for Accidental Deaths and Serious Injuries Include:
Base Jumping-
There is no question about it; base jumping is known as one of the most dangerous sports (period). BASE jumping is parachuting from where the participant jumps off a fixed-type structure or rocky cliff.
The word BASE is an acronym. It stands for the four main categories of fixed objects the base jumper can jump off.
The most common fixed objects are buildings, antennas, spans, and the earth itself, such as a cliff. Will this bizarre sport cost insurance applicants more money? You bet it will, no question about it.
Furthermore, this is a hazardous sport with a considerable history of deaths, but some people continue to be active in this sport.
For your information, BASE jumping is one of the most dangerous recreational activities worldwide. A fatality and injury rate of 44 times as high as skydiving from an airplane.
The reports show that as of October 15th, 2017, the base jumping fatality list recorded over 330 deaths for base jumping since 1981 (ouch). BASE jumping is known as one of the most dangerous sports. This will have an impact on your rates.
Scuba Diving-
The insurance industry has always classified scuba diving as a dangerous sport. Cave diving is a specialized form
of scuba diving where the divers explore the deep insides of underwater caves.
Also, keep in mind that sharks lurk in these caves, becoming another lethal threat. On average, three cave divers perish while cave diving each year.
I love Scuba Diving, but I never graduated into cave diving because of the dangers. Scuba diving falls into the category of one of the most dangerous sports.
Diving on sunken ships, also known as wreck diving, is another very hazardous form of diving. Again, the fear is accidentally being trapped on a sunken ship and unable to surface.
Last but not least is ice diving, where you break a hole in the ice and scuba dive under a ceiling of solid ice. Again, the fear is being unable to find a spot to surface and running out of compressed air.
Skydiving-
Skydiving has been around for many years and is growing in popularity yearly. Unfortunately, despite significant
improvements in parachute designs, the sport of skydiving can still have fatalities.
Regardless of who packs a chute or what brand the parachute is. There is always the possibility of the parachute failing to open and the skydiver falling.
When several divers are together, they increase the parachute’s chance of tangling. The year 2014 had a total of 18 deaths from skydiving. Having an average of 24 deaths yearly makes skydiving one of the most dangerous sports.
Staying alive after impacting the ground from several thousand feet due to a parachute failure is a certain death for the participant.
Bull Riding-
Bull riding is part of rodeo sports; the rider must stay mounted on the bull for as long as
possible. The massive bull is doing everything to flip the cowboy off his back all this time. The simple idea of climbing onto the back of a 2000 lb. bull is incredible.
The rider is less than a rag doll than the bull’s incredible strength. It is known as one of the most dangerous sports in the world. The U.S. professional rodeo circuit averages two deaths per year.
Many more bull riders suffer yearly severe spinal cord and brain injuries. Many riders have been crippled or killed while riding a rodeo bull.
These statistics are from the World Health Organization’s Helmet Initiative Organization records.
Motorsports Racing-
Motorsports Racing participants also have their fair share of severe injuries and deaths. Drag racing has the highest statistics, especially in
Nitro, Methane, or Alcohol classes.
Remember that these cars travel a quarter-mile at well over 300 miles per hour. It can be severe and fatal when something goes wrong at that speed.
Drag boat racing can also be hazardous and worse than race cars. There are no such things as brakes on a boat.
The ever-popular sport of NASCAR racing has more injuries and deaths than other racing sports combined.
Ice Climbing-
Everyone has heard of rock climbing, but what in the world is ice climbing? If you think it is climbing
ice structures, then you are right.
Ice climbers climb everything from frozen waterfalls to rocky slabs and cliffs covered with heavy deposits of slippery ice.
Usually, this is much more dangerous than straightforward rock climbing. There are generally over 20 reported deaths yearly in the United States and Canada from ice climbing.
The sport of ice climbing has all the dangers of rock climbing but to a much more advanced degree. As a result, life insurance companies are highly cautious when an ice climber applies for life insurance.
This sport will trigger an increase in rates and life insurance premiums.
Hang Gliding-
The exciting sport of hang gliding can be hazardous because of several variables. First, hang gliding is a form of
flying sport. The pilot flies a small, light, foot-launched aircraft with no motor whatsoever.
Most modern hang gliders are made of aluminum materials with a cloth sail that forms a wing.
The pilot is then attached to the device with a harness. The pilot controls the aircraft by shifting its weight.
The biggest threat is simply crashing to the ground, landing in a waterbody, and drowning. However, hang gliders can also fall victim to wind currents, sending them into the sides of buildings or mountains.
Hot Air Ballooning-
A hot air balloon consists of a considerable balloon known as an “envelope.” This balloon
contains a large mass of hot air. The flyers are suspended in a gondola made of wicker material in a basket.
A propane-powered torch creates hot air. The heated air inside the balloon makes it very buoyant because it has a lower density than the air outside.
The dangers are strong air currents pushing balloons off course into structures like electric lines or buildings.
The hot air balloon can also lose its heat and crash to the ground in a dangerous area. The worst-case scenario would be a highway or body of water.
Engaging in a Risky Activity? Here’s your Game Plan!
Run our instant quote engine to display your great choices from the best life insurance companies. You can see the up-to-date rates for your age, face amount, and term period. This will give you a good starting point on what your premiums may look like.
Then complete our quick risk assessment form to pre-screen your sport to see what companies will offer you the best life insurance rates. A pre-screen will work great if you also have any medical conditions. This will enable us to give you an accurate quote and eliminate surprises during the underwriting process.
Many applicants receive preferred rates even though they are active in a dangerous sport. Therefore, using the right life insurance companies is very important.
In Conclusion
This is just a small sample of some sports that can increase the cost of life insurance. However, we can help
you get excellent rates and affordable premiums if you are involved in a dangerous sport.
Ensuring people with hazardous sports, hobbies, and occupations is something we do every day.
We can get you pointed in the right direction and help you receive the best policy with a premium that will fit your budget.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call us seven days a week!
All the best,
Jack Venturi
*For any questions you might have, our live chat system is at your disposal or call us at 815-390- 7545 and we will provide a quick answer.
If you have any questions about life insurance with a dangerous sport, contact us to help you with no cost or obligation. You can also set up a time at your convenience to talk.
