The "single vs. twin" statistic is about as volatile a question in aviation forums as guns and knives are here <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

As has been pointed out, twins are often flown commercially which means they are flown more hours, in worse weather, than recreational singles. Sometimes, a twin enables you to get into a more dangerous situation - because they tend to fly at higher altitudes, they can get you over obstacles like mountains, but with two engines, you've doubled the chances of an engine quitting, in a place where you need both engines to maintain a safe altitude.

Also, the incidents where a twin-engine pilot shuts down one engine and continues safely to his destination aren't regarded as accidents and so never feature in the statistics.

So arguing that the additional engine causes pilots to panic is a very simplistic analysis of a complex situation.