Accident Statistics From The National Safety Council

• Accidents rob Americans of more years of life before age 65 than any other cause of death.

• One-in-eight drivers will be involved in an accident involving injuries or property damage in the next 12 months.

• Lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident are 1-in-100.

• About 4,000 teens from ages 13-19 are fatally injured in passenger vehicle accidents every year.

• Over 40,000 of us die in accidents in our homes each year.

• Annually, about 30,000 Americans are killed in accidents that occur in public places.

• Annual fatality statistics from the National Safety Council 2009 Injury Facts publication. Includes about 5,000 on-the-job fatalities.

  Motor Vehicle                                    43,100
  Poisoning                                            22,700
  Falls                                                     21,700
  Drowning                                               4,700
  Choking                                                 3,700
  Fires, Flames and Smoke                   2,700
  Mechanical Suffocation                       1,200
  All Other*                                            20,300

  Total                                                   120,000

  * Most important types included are: natural heat and cold, firearms, struck by or against object, machinery, electric current, and air, water, and rail transport.

As noted, the lifetime odds of being killed in an accident are approximately 1-in-30 for males, and 1-in-50 for females. As difficult as that may be to believe, the facts support the statement. Rounding the numbers for the sake of clarity, here's how they are arrived at:

Each year, approximately 2,000,000 males and 2,000,000 females are born in the U.S., and over 70,000 males and 40,000 females die in accidents. The number of people killed in each age bracket stays relatively constant every year, i.e., the number of one-year-olds killed is about the same, as with two-year-olds, and 55-year-olds.

During a male's lifetime, over 70,000 of his peers will be killed in some type of accident. Dividing 2,000,000 by 70,000+ gives us the 1-in-30 approximation. Likewise, dividing 2,000,000 by 40,000+ gives us the 1-in-50 approximation for females.

Major causes of additional male deaths: Drunk Driving (9000); Motorcycles (3600); Pedestrians (2000); Drug Overdoses (5000); Drowning (2000); Work-related (4000).

Over 40,000 of us die every year in motor vehicle accidents, which equates to 1-in-100 lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident. This includes pedestrians and motorcyclists.