National Safety Council report on “odds of dying” highest in 1) preventable household deaths and 2)opioid overdoses

The National Safety Council reports the likelihood of dying in preventable accidents is on the rise. The most startling increases include motor vehicle crashes and deaths caused by opioid overdoses. Every 10 minutes in the U.S. three people are killed. Preventable household injuries are now the third leading cause of death. Fatal injury with accidental and unintentional causes has risen to one in 25. A staggering increase from one in 30 which was reported in 2004, according to the NSC.

Preventable Household Deaths and Injury

The NSC cited 161,374 lives lost from these injuries alone in 2016. This statistic is almost as high as those for heart disease and cancer. If the injuries are not fatal, however, that leaves 847 people that could have serious injuries due to those car crashes, as well as a litany of other preventable common household accidents. The most common accidental causes of death include: a fall (odds are one in 119), dying in a fire (odds are one in 1,506) and choking on food (odds are one in 3,138).

Opioid Overdoses Skyrocketing

The NSC also cites increases in drug abuse that can lead to accidental death. The one-in-109 odds of an accidental opioid overdose, are the highest they have ever been. In response to these shocking trends, the NSC has recognized the public need for easy access to an easily updatable online platform. With this newly accessible information emerges an attempt to help Americans be proactive about their own safety.These statistics on the “Odds of Dying From” list, accompanied with multiple Injury Facts chapters are now readily available online. The organization has digitized its Injury Facts publication, which has been compiled annually over the course of 98 years.

Putting The Data In a Historical Context

The NSC wants to help Americans understand what they can prioritize to keep themselves safe. They hope the availability of this information can help raise awareness about prevention and safety as well as warning Americans of common pitfalls that occur in everyday life.”Good data helps us make better decisions and increases our odds of living a long and healthy life,” said Deborah Hersman, the group’s CEO. “We hope people will embrace having a wealth of information at their fingertips and use it to protect themselves and their families from the risks that can cause the most harm.”

What Americans Typically Fear

One very important thing that Americans can learn from this available data is that the common deadly accidents do not occur when people are being cautious. Often people fear dying in train crash (odds are one in 178,741) or a plane crash (odds are one in 205,552). Some might even fear dying in an earthquake (odds are one in 124,577) or being struck by lightning (odds are one in 114,195). Many Americans even fear being fatally stung by a bee, spider, or wasp (odds are one in 54,093). Hopefully, the data has made available will help change where Americans place their fears and anxieties and insist their proactivity and safety awareness.

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