Flying IFR under Part 91 gives us pilots an incredible amount of freedom. Yet, it is this relative freedom from heavy regulation which is largely responsible for general aviation's safety record, and it, frankly, is not all that great. No, flying little airplanes is not as safe as flying the airlines. Nor is it as safe as Part 91 corporate flight departments, or Part 135 charter operators, or even the military. However, as little airplane pilots, we can stack the deck in our favor.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/freedom-to-choose