Paragliding pilots should be more safety conscious than glider pilots, since they are more limited than glider pilots. Just take a look at some of the speed figures in the table below - even birds can fly in stronger wind than paragliders. Birds and gliders have another advantage over paragliders: their wings are a lot stronger. A paraglider wing is just inflated air, and that is why the flying vocabulary has been extended with the expressions "tuck, "collapse" and "frontal collapse" by the paragliding sport.
Statistics show that paragliding accidents are more frequent than hanggliding and soaring accidents. A Swiss report showed that paragliders had just as many accidents as alpine skiers - but the seriousness of their injuries was worse. I believe that improved training and more literature on flying safety can improve safety consciousness of paragliders. So far I never had a serious accident, though I have made some big mistakes. Friends of mine had more serious accidents though. I hope new pilots will avoid situations beyond their ability and experience. A pilots judgement on weather, ability, equipment and situation is the difference between a safe flight and trouble.
Paragliding is about the freedom and the exhilaration of free flight. Flying however is only natural to birds - most humans need time and training to understand it.
