Falls, overdoses and other accidents are killing more people than ever

Accidents are becoming more and more dangerous every year. Falls, drug overdoses and automobile deaths are all part of the 136,000 accidental deaths in the year 2014 in the U.S. In a new report released by the National Safety Council it was revealed that the number of cases of Americans dying by accident has reached record highs, with a 4.2 percent increase in the number of cases in 2014. Over the 10 years prior to 2014 accidental deaths rose by 15.5 percent.

Increased vehicle safety has decreased the number of automobile-related deaths, and many changes have been made in teenage driver’s license requirements that have helped vehicle crashes drop behind overdose and accidental poisoning as the leading cause of death. Those two causes killed nearly 42,000 people in 2014.

The reports indicate that increased use of opioids have contributed to the increase in overdose deaths from addictive pain killers. About 13,486 lives were lost in 2014 due to opioid overdoses. The number of people dying from falls also increased. In 1992 these cases numbered 10,000, but in 2014 it had dramatically increased to 32,000.

National Safety Council director Ken Kolosh said that one of the reasons accidental fall deaths had increased may be due to our increasingly aging society. “We have more older adults who are at much greater risk for falls,” he said. Kolosh also said that everyone has the opportunity to make choices that will keep them safe. Although not necessarily the fault of the victim, every accident is preventable.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013, unintentional injuries were the eighth leading cause of death for people over 65 in the U.S., resulting in almost 46,000 deaths. Their website states that in 2012-2013, 55 percent of all accidental injury deaths in that age group were due to falls.

The study data indicates that every four minutes an American dies due to accidental injuries. Researchers stress that the report does not indicate that Americans are clumsy, but that it underlines the need for an increase in safety awareness.

The number one killer in the U.S. remains heart disease, followed by cancer and medical errors.