Home Accident Statistics: Is Your Home as Safe as You Think?
You might feel safe at home, but in reality, thousands of people died from home accidents in 2017.1 Many Americans are clueless about how to prevent minor burns, poisonings, electrical shocks, suffocations, and other common household accidents.
You can take steps to prevent home accidents and preserve your family’s health and well-being. Read more on some common triggers, home injury statistics, and easy-to-apply home safety tips.
Common problems in the home that lead to injuries
- Inadequate railings and banisters
- Unsafe storage of medications
- Water heaters set too high
- Firearms improperly stored or locked up
Motor vehicle crashes are a major cause of injury, but since they don’t usually take place in the home, we’re not addressing them here.
Poisoning
In 2017, 64,795 people died of poisoning in the US.2 That may sound surprising, but in 2011, the National Safety Council reported that poisoning jumped up to become the leading cause of home and community death.3