ACCIDENTS AND OUR HEALTH-A BRIEF STATISTICAL SUMMARY

Accidental deaths

HOW ACCIDENTS AFFECT THE NATION'S HEALTH

Accidents are fourth among the leading causes of death in the United States. Only heart disease, cancer, and vascular lesions of the central nervous system take more lives. About 3 million man-years of life were lost because of accidents in 1958.

Among young people 1 to 35 years of age, accidents are the leading cause of death. In the age group 15 to 24 years they caused more than one-half of all deaths in 1959.

There were 92,080 accidental deaths in 1959. The death rate for accidents was 52.2 per 100,000 population. Almost 75 percent of these deaths were from one of the four leading types of accidents: Motor-vehicle accidents caused more than 40 percent (37,910 deaths); falls caused more than 20 percent (18,774 deaths); fire and explosion caused about 7 percent (6,898 deaths); drowning caused about 5 percent (5,046 deaths).

Nonfatal injuries

About 45 million persons are injured annually according to the U.S. National Health Survey. (Based on 3 survey years, July 1957-June 1960.)

More than one person in four is injured annually. (Based on 2 survey years, July 1957-June 1959.)

Of those who are injured, about 37 million receive medical care, 10 million are bed disabled, and 1.7 million are hospitalized. (Based on data for various survey years.)

Annual losses resulting from these injuries include about 400 million days of restricted activity, about 100 million days of bed disability, and about 100 million days lost from work. (Based on the survey year, July 1957-June 1958.)

Deaths

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AND THE NATION'S HEALTH

Motor vehicle accidents caused the death of 37,910 persons in the United States in 1959. The death rate for such accidents was 21.5 per 100,000 population. In 1958 about 1.4 million man-years of life were lost as a result of motor vehicle accidents.

Death from motor vehicle accidents is much more common among males than among females. Male death rates were almost three times as high as female death rates in 1959. (For the 20-24 year age group, male death rates were five times as high as female death rates.)

About four-fifths of all the motor vehicle deaths in 1959 occurred among male youths aged 15–24.

There were 7,282 pedestrians among those killed by motor vehicles in 1959. Males aged 65 and over accounted for almost one-fourth of these, although they constitute less than 4 percent of the population.

Nonfatal injuries

The National Health Survey estimates that about 4 million persons are injured annually in motor vehicle accidents. (Based on 3 survey years, July 1957-June 1960.)

More than one-fourth of all these injuries occurred to persons 15-24 years of age the age group with the highest rates. (Based on 2 survey years, July 1957-June 1959.)

More than one-half of those hospitalized by injuries are injured by motor vehicles. (Based on the survey year July 1957-June 1958.)

Among the annual losses due to motor vehicle accidents are about 90 million days of restricted activity, more than 25 million days of bed disability and about 30 million days lost from work. (Based on the survey year July 1957-June 1958.)

Deaths

HOW ACCIDENTS AFFECT THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN

Accidents are the leading cause of death in childhood, after the first year of life. About 15,000 children die each year in an accident.

Accidental deaths are almost 30 percent of all deaths for ages 1 to 4, and about 40 percent for ages 5 to 14.

Motor vehicle accidents, drowning, and fire and explosion are the most common types of fatal accidents in childhood. Together they cause more than half of the accidental death toll.

Nonfatal injuries

The National Health Survey estimates that about 16 million children are injured each year. About one-third of all persons injured are children under 15. on 2 survey years, July 1957-June 1959.)

(Based About 60 percent of these children are injured in and about the home. (Based on 2 survey years, July 1957-June 1959.)

One child in every ten hospitalized, is there because of an injury. More than 200,000 children have impairments caused by injury. (Based on the survey year, July 1957-June 1958.)

Injured children experience more than 40 million days of restricted activity and 10 million days of bed-disability annually. About 13 million schooldays are lost each year because of injuries. (Based on the survey year, July 1957-June 1958.)

Deaths

HOW ACCIDENTS AFFECT THE HEALTH OF THE AGED

The

There were 24,845 accidental deaths among persons 65 and over in 1959. accidental death rate for these aged persons was 161.6 per 100,000 population— more than three times the rate for all ages.

Although less than 10 percent of the population was 65 or over in 1959, more than one-fourth of the accidental deaths occurred among this age group. They experienced almost three-fourths of all fatal falls, almost one-third of all pedestrian deaths, and more than one-fourth of the deaths from fire and explosion.

For older people, falls, motor vehicle accidents and fire and explosion are the most common types of accidental death. Together they casued about 85 percent of all accidental deaths of those 65 and over in 1959.

Nonfatal injuries

About 3 million older persons are injured annually, according to National Health Survey estimates. (Based on 2 survey years, July 1957-June 1959.) Over two-thirds of these injuries occur in and about the home. survey years, July 1957-June 1959.)

(Based on 2

Injury rates for older women are twice as high as those for older men. (Based on 2 survey years, July 1957-June 1959.)

Deaths

HOME ACCIDENTS AND THE NATION'S HEALTH

Accidents in and about the home caused more than one-fourth of all accidental deaths in 1959. There were 23,020 deaths from such accidents reported, and the total number is estimated to be as high as 28,000 annually (including an estimate for deaths with place not reported.)

The home and its premises are the scene of almost two-thirds of all accidental deaths of children under 5, and almost one-half of the accidental deaths of persons 65 and over.

Accidents in the home are responsible for more than three-fourths of all deaths from fire and explosion, almost two-thirds of those from poisonous gases and vapors, and about one-half of the deaths from fails, solid and liquid poisons, and firearm accidents.

Nonfatal injuries

About 19 million persons are injured in and about their homes each year, according to National Health Survey estimates. (Based on 3 survey years, July 1957-June 1960.)

Each year these accidents injure twice as many persons as work accidents and four times the number injured in motor vehicle accidents. (Based on 3 survey years, July 1957-June 1960.)

Children and aged persons have the highest home injury rates. Among children, boys have higher rates than girls. Women 65 years and over have rates much higher than men of the same age. (Based on 2 survey years, July 1957-June 1959.)

Deaths and death rates for the leading types of accidents, United States, 1959

Accidental deaths and death rates by age, United States, 1959

Source: Deaths-Vital Statistics of the United States, 1959-National Office of Vital Statistics. Populations-Current Population Reports, Bureau of the Census series P-25, No. 212.

Leading types of accidental death by age and sex, United States, 1959

1 Fire and explosion of combustible material.

2 Inhalation and ingestion causing obstruction or suffocation.

Source: Vital Statistics of the United States, 1959, National Office of Vital Statistics.

Death rates for the leading types of accidental death by age and sex; United States, 1959

2 Inhalation and ingestion causing obstruction or suffocation.

Sources: "Vital Statistics of the United States, 1959" and "Current Population Reports," Series P-25, No. 212, Bureau of the Census.

Persons injured: 1 Estimated number by class of accident and extent of disabilityUnited States annual average, July 1957-June 1960

1 These estimates are based upon 3 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.

3"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.

Source: U.S. National Health Survey.