Posted on 07/05/2011 10:00:33 AM PDT by marktwain
The number of fatal firearms accidents for the last six years of record are:
2002 - 762;
2003 - 730;
2004 - 649;
2005 - 630;
2006 - 680.
2007 - 613
I had to hunt a bit for this information, which I think many are interested in. The accidental firearm death rate is down over 94% since 1905.
You have to do a bit of work at the link to find the figures in the source.
In 2002, the largest total number of accidental firearm deaths made up 0.0003% of the population. If driving an automobile was only this safe. (@ 41000 auto accidents per year the number is 0.01% of the population)
BFL...
Good catch, Marktwain. Interesting too, that the -lowest- number of accidental deaths is after the -highest- spike of private gun sales in our nation’s history. I have wondered who was buying them. Looks like they are going into the right hands. May also reflect more thorough training and general information as a by product of the spread of conceal carry jurisdictions in the US.
"Bush's fault.'
Fabulous catch. Added to profile.
There is also a difference between the proximate cause of death, the gun shot, and the actual cause of death. Which before penicillin was most probably infection.
I had the same thought. With 48 states having some form of concealed carry option (49 when the Wisconsin bill is signed on 8 July), More citizens are familiar with firearms on a daily basis.
You have to check around, but I believe (don’t quote me on this) that the number of firearms related fatalities is lower than bicycle accidents, drownings, and electrocutions. Lower than deaths from mismanaged surgeries, and waaaaaay lower than traffic accidents.
It’s way, way down there in the basement.
Of course, you’ll never hear that from the media.
I bet that a lot of these firearms accidents were suicides that sympathetic LEO’s called an accident. That way the family can collect the insurance money.
It is quite possible. With about 18,000 suicides committed with guns per year, a small amount of sympathy would make a large upward difference in the number of fatal gun accidents reported.
Do these numbers include Glocks or not?
It is a good question. It is very hard to fire a Glock without pressing the trigger, so some might question the chance of Glocks ending up in these numbers, claiming that if the trigger is pressed, it is not really an accident.
However, I recall at least one case where the pull on a coat waistband got into a Glock trigger guard; when the officer tried to holster the pistol, it accidentally discharged, but no one was killed.
Most fatal firearms accidents today occur among a subset of young males who are notoriously unconcerned with risk or responsibility.
As an example, I know of at least three fatal firearms "accidents" where the people involved were drinking, one of them put a beer can (or equivalent) on their head, and said: Shoot this can off of my head!
A lot of people would say that the above behavior wasn't really an accident, but negligence. Still most fatal firearm "accidents" today involve that level of irresponsible behavior.
How many accidental deaths have there been from swimming pools? Exploding propane tanks? River Rafting? Spectating at motor car events? Eating chicken? Running with scissors? Using BB guns?
See where I'm going with this?
Context and perspective are everything.
The anti-gun crowd in an advanced society is the most helpless, clueless, irrational, self-centered, despotic, delusional group that must be tolerated. Fortunately, the first to die off from sundry causes when TSHTF.
Force them to spend a week without electricity. That will make their heards explode, but would teach them both perspective and humility.
That's a lot of gun deaths. I get sad whenever a gun dies, whether by accident or not.
For comparison:
“An average of about 240 children under 5 years old drown in swimming pools nationwide each year. But CPSC also has reports of about 110 children under 5 who have drowned in other products in and around the home each year. These products include bathtubs, hot tubs, spas, buckets and other containers.”
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consumerawareness/a/homedrowning.htm
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