Preventable Deaths Reach an All-Time High, says National Safety Council

NSC aims to eliminate preventable deaths, calls on Americans to join the movement and be #Safe4Life

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Jun 01, 2016, 04:24 ET

ITASCA, Ill., June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The number of Americans dying from preventable injuries has reached an all-time high, according to analysis from the National Safety Council. Preventable injuries, commonly known as 'accidents', claimed 136,053 lives in 2014 – a 57 percent increase since 1992, when deaths from preventable injuries were as low as they had been in 68 years. Preventable injuries are now the fourth leading cause of death in the United States behind heart disease, cancer and chronic respiratory disease[i].

The mission of the National Safety Council is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. (PRNewsFoto/National Safety Council)

The data, released at the start of National Safety Month, have prompted the National Safety Council to issue a commitment to all Americans to eliminate preventable death in our lifetime.

"Losing someone every four minutes to an injury we know how to prevent is unacceptable," said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. "Eliminating preventable deaths is a lofty goal, but not impossible. We can be successful one company, one family and one life at a time. If we all work together to reduce harm, we will make our world a measurably safer place."

Preventable injuries are a constant threat at every age. To help Americans understand the biggest risks to their safety, the National Safety Council has created the Safety Checkup tool which generates a safety profile based on factors such as age, gender and state of residence.

Throughout our lifetime, the leading causes of preventable death are[ii]:

Younger than 1: Suffocation
Ages 1 to 4: Drowning
Ages 5 to 24: Motor vehicle crashes
Ages 25-64: Poisonings, largely from drug overdoses and prescription opioids
Ages 65+: Falls

The Council is hosting a free webinar June 14 to explain the leading causes of preventable death and injury detailed in its annual Injury Facts publication.

For additional National Safety Month resources, weekly themes and information, visit nsc.org/safe4life.

About the National Safety Council
Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council, nsc.org, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and Safe Communities.

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[i] According to 2016 Injury Facts
[ii] According to 2016 Injury Facts

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SOURCE National Safety Council