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What are the most likely ways to die here in the US? The answer might surprise you. For a person born in the year 2003, the list below represents the 10 most likely death methods…
Notes: These odds do not include mortality by disease or natural causes – these odds are related to external factors and self-determined factors. The data was catalogued by the National Safety Council and the source is available here. The data in the table represents the highest risk at the “leaf level” from the charts. There are higher risks across aggregations of factors.
It’s pretty clear from the table above that one should steer clear of firearms, drugs, falling, and driving! When you look at the aggregated categories, it’s even more clear. The items above are discrete leaf level causes of death. For example, the lifetime odds of dying from an accident are 1 in 34. Getting more specific, the lifetime odds of dying from a transport accident are 1 in 78, getting even more specific, the lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle related accident are 1 in 84. The highest leaf level risk is listed above in the chart, occupant in a car accident at 1 in 237.
There are also some odd ways to die that are recorded. A couple of interesting ones are:
- Three people were killed by ignition or melting of nightware. Lifetime odds of death in this manner? 1 in 1,249,356.
- Forty eight people were killed by overexertion, travel and privation. Lifetime odds of death in this manner? 1 in 78,085
- Five hundred and ninety-seven people were killed by slipping, tripping, and stumbling. Lifetime odds of death in this manner? 1 in 6,278
Data like this is very interesting. I think it shows us where we, as a society, should be investing in our own safety. Curiously, in 2003 in the US there were no deaths due to terrorism. If we wind back the clock to the year 2001 and look at the 3,000 deaths due to terror and run these numbers, we come up with a single year number of 1 in 95,075 and a lifetime number of 1,225. However, if we do this calculation for the year 2003, the odds are astronomical because there were no recorded fatalities due to terrorism in that year on US soil. The risk isn’t zero, but it’s not particularly high either, it doesn’t crack the top 10 even with 2001 data.
The numbers are clear – our priorities are wrong with regard to dealing with the real risks of death in our society.
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My brother died on 9/11. Struck by lightening. … 2003. …..my brother ( whose fiance’ has “elephant man” disease) who was pronounced dead on arrival 1981 (motorcycle) but miraculously came back from the dead…til the day before his 37th birthday (when Johnny Cash died)…and afterwards i forgot i’d stepped on the President’s (& i mean ‘OF THE UNITED STATES’) Toes (not figuratively) till i was reminded by someone w/ Alzheimer’s (who Did remember). …and Dolly Parton came over (to my actual house) and i could barely drag myself up cause i have fibromyalgia (an ‘imagined’ illness ) excacerbated by grief………….talk about ODDS!!………. All i can think is:” MAN- You never know WHAT to worry about!!!!!” (& by the way- i know the odds of anyone believing this must be miniscule at best-but it is all true & i don’t know why i said it …other than-it sounds so crazy-how could i not??? ) Reality is so much stranger than fiction (all you compulsive speculators).
What a comment Annie!
[…] – Top 10 Most Likely Ways to Die – A look at the most common unnatural causes for death in the US from the year […]
even if you look at rhe top 10, it doesn’t matter cause there is a good chance (non health related) you will die in a freak accident. did you know leftys are 10 times more likely to die in accident then rightys? Factor that into the odds. I’m a lefty and I know why, cause the majority of things including safety related stuff are geared towards giving a right handed person the advantave. Mainly cause 9 out of 10 people are right handed.
This is not up to date at all!