Accidental Fatalities Hit New LOW

[JonJ]

From the April 4, 2007 "Shooting Wire".

Accidental Fatalities Hit New LOW

The National Safety Council has released new data that demonstrates that accidental firearms fatalities continue to remain at the lowest levels since the NSC began record keeping. In fact, over the last decade, fatalities have dropped 40 percent, from 1,225 in 1995 to 730 in 2005.

There were key findings that say you're less likely to be injured by a firearm than you are by a motor vehicle, poison, falls, choking, flames (and smoke), drowning, suffocation, natural heat and cold, or being struck by or against an object.

In fact, if hazardous activities were outlawed on a statistical basis, cheerleading equipment would be more likely to be outlawed than firearms - or footballs. Cheerleading, due to the new emphasis on gymnastics and increasingly more dangerous stunts, has claimed the number one position in traumatic injuries in high school and college sports.

Here are some other key findings, courtesy of the National Shooting Sports Foundation's Industry Intelligence Reports:

• Firearms-related injuries have been decreasing consistently since record keeping began in 1903 and dramatically in the past 10 years.
  
• Over the last nine years, the number of unintentional firearm related fatalities for children (ages 14 and under) has decreased by 69 percent.
  
• Accidental firearm-related fatalities are substantially lower compared to the number of accidental deaths caused by other injury types.
  
• Hunting is one of the safest forms of recreation in the United States.
  
• Firearms are involved in fewer than 1.2 percent of accidental fatalities among children.
  
• In the past 10 years, firearms-related accidents in the home have dropped by more than 44 percent.
  
• Firearms are involved in fewer than 1 percent (0.7 percent) of all accidental fatalities in the United States.
  
• Over the last decade the rate of firearm-related injuries per 100,000 people has declined by 60 percent, from 0.5 percent in 1995 to 0.2 percent in 2005.

In other words, don't let anyone tell you that responsible ownership of a firearm is irresponsible.

 

[TomH]

In fact, if hazardous activities were outlawed on a statistical basis, cheerleading equipment would be more likely to be outlawed than firearms

And we can't have that!!!

 

[C-pher]

You have to be careful with this report.

Where's the data that firearm ownership has gone up? They could use this same data to say that it's because of all the new laws that have been put in place.

 

[News Shooter]

Bingo

You have to be careful with this report.

Where's the data that firearm ownership has gone up? They could use this same data to say that it's because of all the new laws that have been put in place.

and worse, they'll say we more of these wonderful laws to get the rate down to zero

 

[ZenShooter]

Interesting article. It would be even stronger if this data was put into context: while the numbers of firearms-related injuries have dropped, according to the BATF gun ownership has actually increased during the same period.

I see this as a tribute to the relatively recent emphasis on responsible ownership and the the wide availability of at least minimal training programs.

It's also a good example of what I have often talked about: as humans, we are terrible estimators of relative risk. Reading crime statistics and knowing human nature, we own and carry firearms. Yet it never ceases to amaze me that people who are well trained, and carry a primary, backup and blade against the chance of intersecting with crime, will still jump in their cars and drive aggressively. You are far more likely to die in your car on the way to the range than by any criminal or terrorist activity.

 

[drgrant]

You have to be careful with this report.

Where's the data that firearm ownership has gone up? They could use this same data to say that it's because of all the new laws that have been put in place.

Well, all you have to do is look at the BATFE reports of the thousands of
guns sold per year. While many purchases are by "enthusiasts" by and
large a lot of these purchases are from new owners.

There are also numerous (even in mass media) news reports and the like showing an increase in new gun owners since 9/11.

-Mike

 

[C-pher]

Yet, all these reports even coming from GOAL, if I'm not mistaken, is that LTC/FID licenses have dropped over the last 10 or so years. That our numbers from licensed oweners back when we had the lifetime FID to now, have lowered in the 100's of thousands in this state.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm pretty new to MA. But I thought that's what has been said around here before.

 

[drgrant]

Yet, all these reports even coming from GOAL, if I'm not mistaken, is that LTC/FID licenses have dropped over the last 10 or so years. That our numbers from licensed oweners back when we had the lifetime FID to now, have lowered in the 100's of thousands in this state.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm pretty new to MA. But I thought that's what has been said around here before.

That's just in MA, though.... on the whole the US has more gun owners in it
than it used to. I'm not sure about the MA license demographics
either, aside from the huge loss of licenses post GCA98. I would guess
that it probably has a slight upward trend, ,even in ma- eg, an upward
trend say, vs. 1999. I could be wrong about that, however.

-Mike

 

[boltonguy]

That's it - limit football purchases to one per month.

 

[C-pher]

That's just in MA, though.... on the whole the US has more gun owners in it
than it used to. I'm not sure about the MA license demographics
either, aside from the huge loss of licenses post GCA98. I would guess
that it probably has a slight upward trend, ,even in ma- eg, an upward
trend say, vs. 1999. I could be wrong about that, however.

-Mike

Then this reports really should be stated as such. The same statistics can be shown to work on either side, that's the first thing you learn in high school stats. They need some base-point to solidify their point for the pro-gun crowd.

From that report, I can't say that it's because gun ownership is safer than Sports. Or, if the anti's are making headway.

 

[Ripach]

Yet, all these reports even coming from GOAL, if I'm not mistaken, is that LTC/FID licenses have dropped over the last 10 or so years. That our numbers from licensed oweners back when we had the lifetime FID to now, have lowered in the 100's of thousands in this state.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm pretty new to MA. But I thought that's what has been said around here before.

I am a firm believer that while LTC/FID #'s dropped after 1998 the actual number of gun owners most likely did not, they are just illegal gun owners now. If anyone would like to dispute this please provide me with info as to where all the guns of former licensees went, was there a huge turn in to law enforcement of a large jump in consignment stock at local ffls. I think most people either didn't know their FID expired or didn't care and are still blissfully ignorant gun owners.