Accidental Firearm Fatalities at All-Time Low

[Dan W]

http://uscca.us/ccr/view_post.php?postId=603

Anti-gun activists would have you believe that accidental deaths from firearms are all but wiping out an entire generation of citizens. But the truth is that you're more likely to get struck by lightning than to die from a firearm accident.

Data recently released by the National Center for Health Statistics shows that in 2008, the number and per capita rate of accidental firearm deaths fell to an all-time low. There were 592 accidental firearm deaths (0.19 such accidents per 100,000 population) in 2008, as compared to 613 accidents (.20 per 100,000) in 2007. In 2008, the chance of a child dying in a firearm accident was roughly one in a million.

According to the National Lightning Safety Institute, the odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 280,000. In other words, it is 3 times more likely that a child will be struck by lightning than die from a firearm accident.

~Read more at the link~

[armed and humorous]

Absolutely!  And, if people are going to argue we should take away guns because they kill people accidentally, there are oh so many other things that kill a heck of a lot more people we should be worrying about (like soda pop, farm tractors, and space heaters, just to name a few).

[bk09]

I believe back when I had drivers ed we were told 40,000 people die in car accidents a year. When I told my hoplophobe mother I bought guns she assumed I would have an accident and die right away. Simply told her that she should never let me go on the road since that is far more likely and out of my control to an extent.

[HuskerXDM]

Obviously those statistics can't be true since we all know the Brady Campain is the only entity with accurate firearms statistics. 

[armed and humorous]

I teach drivers ed now, and we're still telling students 40,000 die each year.  I've got to wonder how long it's been since bradkoll to the class?    Maybe our stats need an update.

[Roper]

Thanks for posting this, it will come in handy with some folks that I know.

[JimP]

Spoons, griddles and deep fat fryers kill far more than anything else........ that said, you just can't protect people from themselves...... they won't stand for it.

[bk09]

I teach drivers ed now, and we're still telling students 40,000 die each year.  I've got to wonder how long it's been since bradkoll to the class?    Maybe our stats need an update.

Been about 5 or 6 years 

[armed and humorous]

I took drivers ed as a student about 46 years ago.  I don't think there were even 40,000 people driving then! 

[dcjulie]

Might be easier for people to grasp statistics in a different format.  Many people, especially those who are more emotional than logical, have difficulty acknowledging 40K or large numbers.  Here are some easier ways to relate odds of dying:

The data for the most likely ways of dying is based on the National Safety Council's Odds of Dying statistics.


1. Heart Disease                Lifetime Odds: 1 in 5
2. Cancer                           Lifetime Odds: 1 in 7
3. Stroke                            Lifetime Odds: 1 in 24
4. Motor Vehicle Accident   Lifetime Odds: 1 in 84
5. Suicide                           Lifetime Odds: 1 in 119
6. Falling                            Lifetime Odds: 1 in 218
7. Firearm Assault              Lifetime Odds: 1 in 314
8. Pedestrian Accident       Lifetime Odds: 1 in 626
9. Drowning                       Lifetime Odds: 1 in 1,008
10. Motorcycle Accident      Lifetime Odds: 1 in 1,020
Notes on Odds Statistics:
From the National Safety Council

[armed and humorous]

Those don't seem to jibe with the aforementioned stats regarding lightning strikes and some others, dcjulie.  I'm not saying your numbers are wrong (I assume you took them from the NSC table), and they don't include lightning strikes; however, I would have thought the odds of death by firearm were, at least, less than that of being killed in a pedestrian/vehichle accident.  I'm guessing those figures include the military personnel killed in action.  Then again, maybe I'm lulled into a sense of safety living in Lincoln, Nebraska, and not considering places like East St. Louis, Detroit, and other high crime areas.

[JTH]

Those don't seem to jibe with the aforementioned stats regarding lightning strikes and some others, dcjulie.  I'm not saying your numbers are wrong (I assume you took them from the NSC table), and they don't include lightning strikes; however, I would have thought the odds of death by firearm were, at least, less than that of being killed in a pedestrian/vehichle accident.  I'm guessing those figures include the military personnel killed in action.  Then again, maybe I'm lulled into a sense of safety living in Lincoln, Nebraska, and not considering places like East St. Louis, Detroit, and other high crime areas.

Well, be careful about how you are reading it---for guns, it does say "Firearm Assault" not "Firearm Accident" which is a significantly different number.  (MUCH lower.)  As such, the odds of being assaulted by someone with a firearm (and dying) is indeed higher than walking and being run over. 

Earlier commentary was talking about different categories, so the results are very different.

[armed and humorous]

jthhapkido:

Yes, the original discussion was about accidents.  Still, I'm surprised by the results posted by dcjulie.  I'm still thinking the assault stats must include military deaths in the line of duty to be that high.  Those, of course wouldn't have little bearing when discussing gun rights/legislation and using criminal assaults (or accidents) as a basis for an argument against gun rights.