Persons injured: 1 Estimated rates by age, sex, and class of accident-United States, annual average, July 1957-June 1959

1 These estimates are based upon 2 years of a continuing sample survey of the civilian noninstitutional population residing in the United States. Estimates are based on interviews of a minimum of 36,000 households containing approximately 115,000 persons per year. Each statistic is adjusted to official U.S. Bureau of the Census population figures to make the sample estimates closely representative of the total population by age, sex, color, and residence. Persons injured include only those persons experiencing injuries causing 1 or more days of restricted activity or requiring medical attention. For further description and qualifications see "Health Statistics From the U.S. National Health Survey," Series B-8.

2 Figures may not add to totals shown because of rounding.

"Motor vehicle" here includes all accidents in which a motor vehicle was involved regardless of whether the vehicle was in motion or standing still, i.e., persons injured while working on vehicles and pedestrians struck by moving vehicles are both included. "At work" includes all accidents occurring while the person was at work at his job or business, except those accidents involving motor vehicles.

4 Not applicable.

Source: Calculated from unpublished data provided by the U.S. National Health Survey.

COST OF ACCIDENTS

The National Safety Council estimates that accidents cost $13.6 billion in 1960. Of this total, $8.1 billion was attributable to injuries resulting from accidents, broken down as follows:

Wage loss.

Medical expense.

Overhead cost of insurance_

$4, 100, 000, 000

1, 000, 000, 000 3, 000, 000, 000

In addition to these injury costs, property damage in motor vehicle accidents cost an estimated $2.2 billion, property destroyed by fire amounts to $1.1 billion, and property damage and loss of production caused by work accidents cost $2.2 billion.

The total amount of compensation paid under workmen's compensation laws in 1959 was about $1.2 billion. Of this amount about $400 million was for medical and hospital costs, and about $800 million for wage compensation.

Nonfatal injuries result in the loss of about 100 million workdays annually. Persons injured by accidents impose a heavy burden on our hospital facilities. The number of emergency room visits is estimated at 10 million and about 1.7 million persons are hospitalized for treatment of injury each year. Each year accidents result in about 16.5 million hospital bed-days and require the equivalent of about 50,000 hospital beds and 68,000 full-time personnel.

1 Data for total United States includes Alaska but excludes Hawaii.

Source: Deaths, Vital Statistics of the United States, 1959, NOVS. Population, Current Population Reports, series P. 25, No. 210, Bureau of the Census.

Death rates from motor vehicle accidents by State, United States, 1959

1 Data for total United States includes Alaska but excludes Hawaii.

Source: Deaths, Vital Statistics of the United States, 1959, NOVS. Population, Current Population Reports, series P. 25, No. 210, Bureau of the Census.

Death rates from accidents other than motor vehicle accidents by State, United

States, 1959

[Rates per 100,000 population]

[United States: 1 Number of deaths, 54,170; rate, 30.7]

1 Data for total United States includes Alaska but excludes Hawaii.

Source: Deaths, Vital Statistics of the United States 1959, NOVS. Population, Current Population Reports, series P. 25, No. 210, Bureau of the Census.