The most recently compiled data reveals that more than 27 million people are treated in emergency rooms due to accidents with injury each year.
A person is injured in the United States every second, and killed every three minutes. Sadly, most injuries are preventable, and people die accidentally from injuries more than any other time since the late 1930’s. In fact, accidental injury is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Most Common Types of Preventable Injury in America
Interestingly, there’s a prevalence of certain types of injury depending on where you live. Recent statistics show the following personal injury accidents are the top causes of injury nationally:
- Drug overdose
- Vehicle crash
- Falling
- Drowning
- Suffocation
The frequency of these accidents varies by state. So if you live in Florida, for instance, you’re more likely to suffer a head injury than suffocation, which is the most sustained injury in Idaho. Injuries from those involved in fistfights without weapons is a leading cause of injury in New York. On the other hand, you’re more likely to have an accident which causes a broken ankle in Maine.
It’s only recently that sports-related concussions have been given attention as the serious debilitating injuries they are. These injuries are occurring with alarming frequency across the country.
Males between the ages of 10 and 19 suffer more concussion injuries than females in every state, and the number of reported concussions has risen by 48 percent. The highest rates of concussion for this male age group occur in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
Falls are the leading cause of injury in older Americans. Each year there are more than 2.5 million fall injuries and 27,000 deaths resulting from falls. As of 2016, the population of Americans 65-years-old and older had reached 49.2 million. The highest concentration of that age group in the United States is in Sumter, Florida, with a mean population of 67-years-old and older.
The state of Florida has the highest population of people aged 65 or older, at 19.7 percent. Yet Wisconsin in the top state for falls by older Americans. California now has the highest rate of injury due to motor vehicle accidents.
Interstate 40 in California, also known as the Needles Freeway, is one of the deadliest highways in the country, averaging 116 crashes each year with 136 fatalities. Both I-15 and I-5 in California are also considered deadly roads for accidents resulting in injury or fatality.
How to Prevent Common Accidents
No one person or organization can prevent every accident. Even though we may be careful and conscientious in our own home and work environments, other people may be careless which can cause us to be involved in accidents resulting in injury. There are ways to prevent most accidents, however. If we make safety a habit, we can reduce our personal risk.
Approximately 67 percent of all emergency room visits are for injuries sustained unintentionally. It’s estimated that the cost of injury is more than $730 billion annually, including lost wages, medical and insurance costs.
Studies show that most accidents occur when we’re tired, stressed, or distracted. The use of alcohol or drugs will also impair our ability to balance, focus, and use our reflexes. The following tips can help keep you from being just another injury statistic:
- Get Proper Rest
Sleep renews your body’s resources and sharpens your mind. Sleep deprivation is like being incapacitated by alcohol or drugs
- Refrain from Alcohol and Drugs
Alcohol and drugs slow your reaction time, impair your judgment, give a false sense of security or well-being, lowers your inhibition, and impairs all cognitive functions. Never utilize any machinery, especially a car, when under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Your risk of being injured and/or causing the injury or death of someone else is much higher.
- Stay Alert
Alcohol used to be the main factor in car accidents and crashes. Today, the statistics show that distracted driving is a main cause. Texting, talking on your cell phone, changing the radio station, looking at GPS or other material — all of these mistake can cause an accident or fatal crash. Even if you’re careful, someone else may be distracted.
- Use Handrails on Stairs
Handrails were put along stairs for a reason: to prevent falls and slips. Use the handrail each time you climb or descend stairs, especially if you’re a senior. An unexpected step onto a child’s toy or a defect in the steps can easily result in a serious fall.
- Keep Flooring in Good Condition
Carpeting that’s worn or torn can easily cause feet to get caught up in rips, bunching or warped areas, and cause a fall.
- Wear Helmets
Bicycle and motorcycle helmets have been proven to protect the skull and brain from injury during accidents. If you’re playing a sport that requires a helmet, wear one. Even if it’s not required by your state, always use a helmet when biking.
- Maintain Healthy Weight
Weight is a delicate subject for some, but doctors tell us that maintaining a weight that is healthy for our own height and shape can prevent injury due to lack of balance or ability to react. Stay active and healthy so your body can work for you.
- Minimize Stress
Stress is a major factor in many accidents, from road rage to inattention. Know your stress levels and how to de-stress so that you aren’t susceptible to an accident and don’t cause injury to yourself or others. Whether it’s meditation or swimming laps, understand when you are stressed and have a program in place to overcome it.
- Follow Directions for Activities and Products
If you’re directed to take one tablet of medicine every 8 hours, take only one. Don’t double up or think one more won’t hurt. Follow the directions of your physician and pharmacy. Never take someone else’s medication. If it’s required that you wear a hard hat at your job site, then wear it every time. If no food or drinks are allowed near your manufacturing machines at work, then don’t bring food or drink near the machines.
We may not always be able to prevent accidents, but being proactive is key. Awareness of our surroundings and the actions of others is one of the main ways we can keep ourselves and loved ones from suffering a personal injury.
