The Rattlesnake vs. the SUV: What Really Puts Us in Danger?

Let’s talk about fear. More specifically, let’s talk about how good we are at fearing the wrong things.

Every year, people in Arizona call snake removal professionals in a state of panic because there’s a rattlesnake in the yard. Sometimes it’s a Western Diamondback in the driveway. Sometimes it’s a harmless gophersnake mistaken for something more sinister. Either way, the emotional response is the same: fear, often out of proportion to the actual risk involved.

Let’s compare: in the U.S., snakes—all snakes—are responsible for an average of 5 to 6 deaths per year. That’s fewer fatalities than lightning strikes or even vending machines. Meanwhile, motor vehicles kill over 40,000 people in this country annually. Slip-and-fall injuries, prescription errors, and even dogs all result in far more hospitalizations and deaths than snakes ever will.

Yet few people scream and call for removal when they see an SUV roll down the street.

This isn’t to mock the fear—it’s real, and it’s powerful. But it’s also cultural. Studies show that fear of snakes is deeply embedded, sometimes biologically, but often amplified by myths, media, and childhood messaging . People overestimate both the danger and the frequency of snake encounters, especially when venom is involved . And let’s be honest: nobody ever made a horror movie called Minivan!

The irony is that many who fear snakes are living right at the edge of the Sonoran Desert, in beautiful homes intentionally built where snakes have lived for thousands of years. The snakes didn’t move into the neighborhood—we did.

And rattlesnakes, despite the hype, aren’t out to get you. They’re defensive, not aggressive. Most bites occur when someone tries to kill or move them. The safest solution? Don’t panic. Keep a safe distance. Call a professional—like Rattlesnake Solutions—and let them safely relocate the animal without harm to it or you.

Fear is a powerful motivator, but it’s not always a good compass. Let’s give snakes the respect they deserve, not the fear they haven’t earned. After all, the real danger might just be waiting at the next intersection.