The most common causes of death due to injury in the United States

The table is derived from the National Safety Council's data on accidents. There are four columns:

Column 1: Manner of injury
Column 2: Total number of deaths nationwide due to the manner of injury for the year 2000
Column 3: Odds of dying in one year due to the manner of injury [i.e. 1 in 46,901 chance of dying as a Pedestrian]
Column 4: Odds of dying over the course of a lifetime due to the manner of injury [i.e. 1 in 610 chance of dying as a Pedestrian]

Source: National Safety Council "estimates based on data from National Center for Health Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau. Deaths are classified on the basis of the Tenth Revision of the World Health Organization's "The International Classification of Diseases" (ICD). Numbers following titles refer to External Cause of Morbidity and Mortality classifications in ICD-10. One year odds are approximated by dividing the 2000 population (275,306,000) by the number of deaths. Lifetime odds are approximated by dividing the one-year odds by the life expectancy of a person born in 2000 (76.9 years)."

Sort by: Manner of Injury | Odds of Injury

Type of Accident or Manner of Injury Total Deaths in 2000 One Year Odds [1 in #] Lifetime Odds [1 in #] Pedestrian 5,870 46,901 610 Pedalcyclist 740 372,035 4,838 Motorcycle rider 2,765 99,568 1,295 Occupant of three-wheeled motor vehicle 23 11,969,826 155,654 Car occupant 14,813 18,585 242 Occupant of pick-up truck or van 3,268 84,243 1,095 Occupant of heavy transport vehicle 369 746,087 9,702 Bus occupant 20 13,765,300 179,003 Animal rider or occupant of animal-drawn vehicle 97 2,838,206 36,908 Occupant of railway train or railway vehicle 30 9,176,867 119,335 Occupant of streetcar 1 275,306,000 3,580,052 Other and unspecified land transport accidents 16,850 16,339 212 Occupant of special industrial vehicle 15 18,353,733 238,670 Occupant of special agricultural vehicle 273 1,008,447 13,114 Occupant of special construction vehicle 37 7,440,703 96,758 Occupant of all-terrain or other off-road motor vehicle 717 383,969 4,993 Other and unspecified person 15,808 17,416 226 Water transport accidents 630 436,994 5,683 Drowning 466 590,785 7,683 Other and unspecified injuries 164 1,678,695 21,830 Air and space transport accidents 777 354,319 4,608 Other and unspecified transport accidents and sequelae 496 555,052 7,218 Other specified transport accidents 2 137,653,000 1,790,026 Unspecified transport accident 4 68,826,500 895,013 Transport Accidents 46,749 5,889 77 Falls 13,322 20,666 269 Fall on same level from slipping, tripping and stumbling 565 487,267 6,336 Other fall on same level 1,885 146,051 1,899 Fall involving bed, chair, other furniture 650 423,548 5,508 Fall on and from stairs and steps 1,307 210,640 2,739 Fall on and from ladder or scaffolding 412 668,218 8,689 Fall from out of or through building or structure 506 544,083 7,075 Other fall from one level to another 687 400,737 5,211 Other and unspecified fall 7,310 37,662 490 Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces 2,768 99,460 1,293 Struck by or striking against object 877 313,918 4,082 Caught between objects 84 3,277,452 42,620 Contact with machinery 676 407,257 5,296 Contact with sharp objects 80 3,441,325 44,751 Firearms discharge 776 354,776 4,613 Explosion and rupture of pressurized devices 30 9,176,867 119,335 Fireworks discharge 5 55,061,200 716,010 Explosion of other materials 167 1,648,539 21,437 Foreign body entering through skin or natural orifice 36 7,647,389 99,446 Other and unspecified inanimate mechanical forces 37 7,440,703 96,758 Exposure to animate mechanical forces 204 1,349,539 17,549 Struck by or against another person 61 4,513,213 58,689 Bitten or struck by dog 26 10,588,692 137,694 Bitten or struck by other mammals 65 4,235,477 55,078 Bitten or stung by nonvenomous insect and other arthropods 9 30,589,556 397,784 Bitten or crushed by other reptiles 31 8,880,839 115,486 Other and unspecified animate mechanical forces 12 22,942,167 298,338 Accidental drowning and submersion 3,482 79,065 1,028 Drowning and submersion while in or falling into bath-tub 341 807,349 10,499 Drowning and submersion while in or falling into swimming-pool 567 485,549 6,314 Drowning and submersion while in or falling into natural water 1,135 242,560 3,154 Other and unspecified drowning and submersion 1,439 191,318 2,488 Other accidental threats to breathing 5,648 48,744 634 Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed 327 841,914 10,948 Other accidental hanging and strangulation falling earth and other substances 333 826,745 10,751 Threat to breathing due to cave-in 64 4,301,656 55,938 Inhalation of gastric contents 382 720,696 9,372 Inhalation and ingestion of food causing obstruction of respiratory tract 744 370,035 4,812 Inhalation and ingestion of other objects causing obstruction of respiratory tract 3,187 86,384 1,123 Confined to or trapped in a low-oxygen environment 15 18,353,733 238,670 Other and unspecified threats to breathing 596 461,923 6,007 Exposure to electric current, radiation, temperature, and pressure 419 657,055 8,544 Electric transmission lines 99 2,780,869 36,162 Other and unspecified electric current 296 930,088 12,095 Radiation 0 --- --- Excessive heat or cold of man-made origin 12 22,942,167 298,338 High and low air pressure and changes in air pressure 12 22,942,167 298,338 Other and unspecified man-made environmental factors 0 --- --- Exposure to smoke, fire and flames 3,377 81,524 1,060 Uncontrolled fire in building or structure 2,776 99,174 1,290 Uncontrolled fire not in building or structure 68 4,048,618 52,648 Controlled fire in building or structure 50 5,506,120 71,601 Controlled fire not in building or structure 29 9,493,310 123,450 Ignition of highly flammable material 65 4,235,477 55,078 Ignition or melting of nightwear 9 30,589,556 397,784 Ignition or melting of other clothing and apparel 116 2,373,328 30,863 Other and unspecified smoke fire and flames 264 1,042,826 13,561 Contact with heat and hot substances 110 2,502,782 32,546 Contact with hot tap-water 55 5,005,564 65,092 Other and unspecified heat and hot substances 55 5,005,564 65,092 Contact with venomous animals and plants 80 3,441,325 44,751 Contact with venomous snakes and lizards 12 22,942,167 298,338 Contact with venomous spiders 5 55,061,200 716,010 Contact with hornets, wasps and bees 54 5,098,259 66,297 Contact with other and unspecified venomous animal or plant 9 30,589,556 397,784 Exposure to forces of nature 1,223 225,107 2,927 Exposure to excessive natural heat 301 914,638 11,894 Exposure to excessive natural cold 742 371,032 4,825 Lightning 50 5,506,120 71,601 Earthquake and other earth movements 35 7,865,886 102,287 Cataclysmic storm 49 5,618,490 73,062 Flood 5 55,061,200 716,010 Exposure to other and unspecified forces of nature 41 6,714,780 87,318 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances 12,757 21,581 281 Nonopioid analgesics antipyretics and antirheumatics 176 1,564,239 20,341 Antiepileptic sedative-hypnotic antiparkinsonism and psychotropic drugs n.e.c. 704 391,060 5,085 Narcotics and psychodysleptics [hallucinogens] n.e.c. 6,139 44,845 583 Other and unspecified drugs medicaments and biologicals 4,693 58,663 763 Alcohol 302 911,609 11,854 Gases and vapours 631 436,301 5,674 Other and unspecified chemicals and noxious substances 112 2,458,089 31,965 Overexertion, travel and privation 185 1,488,141 19,352 Accidental exposure to other and unspecified factors and sequelae 7,576 36,339 473 Nontransport Unintentional (Accidental) Injuries 51,151 5,382 70 Deaths Due to Unintentional (Accidental) Injuries 97,900 2,812 37 Intentional self-poisoning 4,859 56,659 737 Intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation, and suffocation 5,688 48,401 629 Intentional self-harm by firearm 16,586 16,599 216 Other and unspecified means and sequelae 2,217 124,180 1,615 Intentional self-harm 29,350 9,380 122 Assault by firearm 10,801 25,489 331 Assault by sharp object 1,805 152,524 1,983 Other and unspecified means and sequelae 4,159 66,195 861 Assault 16,765 16,421 214 Poisoning 2,557 107,668 1,400 Hanging, strangulation, and suffocation 104 2,647,173 34,424 Drowning and submersion 231 1,191,801 15,498 Firearm discharge 230 1,196,983 15,565 Exposure to smoke, fire, and flames 76 3,622,447 47,106 Falling, jumping, or pushed from a high place 55 5,005,564 65,092 Other and unspecified means and sequelae 566 486,406 6,325 Event of undetermined intent 3,819 72,089 937 Legal intervention involving firearm discharge 270 1,019,652 13,259 Legal execution 80 3,441,325 44,751 Other and unspecified means and sequelae 9 30,589,556 397,784 Legal intervention 359 9,972 Operations of war and sequelae 16 17,206,625 223,753 Complications of medical and surgical care and sequelae 3,059 89,999 1,170 All External Causes of Mortality 151,268 1,820 24