Accidents that kill people and cause the wrongful deaths of innocent victims are a real tragedy whenever they happen, whether it is to someone close to home here in Indiana or Illinois, or elsewhere in the United States. It is frustrating and horrible to think how someone, through no fault of their own, loses their life because of a mistake (negligence). Sadly, this happens all the time — in car crashes, medical malpractice, truck accidents, on the job work injuries, and more.
Researchers are always studying how these accidents happen and what can be done in the future to prevent them. We report on their findings regularly as they are released by places like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute for Health (NIH), and more. For instance, read our 2013 post, “Prescription Drug Abuse is a National Epidemic: How Are Indiana and Illinois Faring in Dealing with Prescription Drug Problem Per New 2013 Report?”
New Study of Causes of Fatal Injuries in U.S.
One study released this month is particularly reveaaling about fatal injuries in accidents; it is entitled “The Facts Hurt: A State-By-State Injury Prevention Policy Report.” (You can read the full report online here.)
This report was compiled by the non-profit group Trust for America’s Health – Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Its results are important for everyone to know about — from the general public, to parents, teachers, coaches, etc.
Why? This research shows that:
1 person dies from an injury every 3 minutes in the U.S.A. That’s 20 people every hour.
Injuries are the leading cause of death for people living in the U.S. between the ages of 1 year and 44 years of age.
Some states have a higher risk of death from an injury than others: the safest state from injuries is New York (rate of 40.3:100,000); the most dangerous is West Virginia (97.9:100,000).
Prescription drug abuse causes more accidental deaths than car accidents in over half of the states (36 out of 50) as well as the District of Columbia.
Illinois Injury Research Report
From the report’s findings specific to Illinois we know the following:
- Illinois had the 7th Lowest Rate of Injury Deaths in U.S., which means it’s much safer to be in Illinois than Indiana which had the 25th Highest Rate of Injury Deaths.
- Rates in Illinois remained stable over the past four years for injury deaths, which includes drug overdoses, motor vehicle crashes, homicides and others.
- Drug overdoses have become the leading cause of injury in Illinois, surpassing motor vehicle-related deaths.
- Illinois ranked 38th highest for drug overdose deaths.
Indiana Injury Research Report
From the report’s findings specific to Indiana:
- Indiana had the 25th Highest Rate of Injury Deaths in U.S., which means it’s much riskier to be in Indiana than Illinois which had the 7th Lowest Rate of Injury Deaths.
- Rates in Indiana increased over the past four years for injury deaths, which includes drug overdoses, motor vehicle crashes, homicides and others.
- Drug overdoses have become the leading cause of injury in Indiana, surpassing motor vehicle-related deaths.
- Indiana ranked 15th highest for drug overdose deaths.
From the TFAH News release:
“Injuries are persistent public health problems. New troubling trends, like the prescription drug overdose epidemic, increasing rates of fall-related deaths and traumatic brain injuries, are serious and require immediate response,” said Corrine Peek-Asa, MPH, PhD, Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the College of Public Health, University of Iowa. “But, we cannot afford to neglect or divert funds from ongoing concerns like motor vehicle crashes, drownings, assaults and suicides. We spend less than the cost of a box of bandages, at just $.028 per person per year on core injury prevention programs in this country.”
