The federal government's National Center for Injury Protection and Control keeps track of injury statistics. Here are some of the Center's details about injury in the United States.

• Every year, more than 90,000 people die in the United States as a result of unintentional injuries.
• Accidental injuries result in about 31 million emergency room visits each year.
• Every year, about a quarter of all children sustain an injury serious enough to require medical attention, school absences, and/or bed rest.
• Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the United States for people ages one to thirty-four.
• In 1997, 3.5 million people were injured in motor vehicle accidents in the United States, and another 42,000 died as a result of such accidents.
• Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in older Americans. One out of every three people age sixty-five and over falls each year.
• Falls are also the leading cause of non-fatal injuries to children up to fourteen years of age, accounting for an estimated 2.5 million emergency visits annually.
• Drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related deaths in children ages one to fourteen.
• In 1997, residential fires claimed the lives of 3,360 Americans and resulted in $4.6 billion in property damage.
• In 1998, improper use of fireworks caused 8,500 injuries.
• About 600,000 people are treated in emergency rooms every year for bicycle-related injuries. In 1998, 758 bicyclists died from their injuries.
• Someone in the United States seeks medical attention for a dog bite every forty seconds.
• Playground accidents result in about 200,000 emergency visits every year-that's one injury every 2½ minutes.
• In 1998, over two million people called poison control centers regarding accidental poisonings.
• In 1998, nearly 40 percent of traffic fatalities were alcohol-related. Alcohol is also involved in about 40 percent of fire-related deaths and up to 50 percent of deaths from drowning.
• Accidental injuries are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States.
• On average, there are 11,200 disabling accidental injuries every hour during the year.
• One out of every 10 construction workers is accidentally injured every year.
• The most common accident at construction sites is falls, either on the same level or from height. More fatalities occur from falls than any other construction activity.
• Ironworkers are the construction trade with the greatest likelihood of being injured on a construction site.
• More ironworkers are injured during decking operations than any other ironworking activity.

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