Children Ten Times More Likely to Die in A Car Accident Than From Gunfire

The Washington Post is first off the line with a new study about firearm deaths and children. The headline: Gun death rates among children similar in rural areas, big cities, study says. “Not surprisingly, homicides involving firearms are more common among city youths. But gun suicides and accidental fatal shootings level the score: They are more common among rural kids. ‘This debunks the myth that firearm death is a big-city problem,” said lead author Michael Nance, a doctor at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. ‘This is everybody’s problem.'” Well, yes, OK, but—what’s the bottom line? “About four deaths per 100,000 children.” That’s all in. Compared to around 30 automotive-related deaths per 100,000 for children aged zero to 14 (the stat jumps to a staggering 90.3 per 100,000 for 15 – 24 year olds). The Pediatrics gun death study spans 1999 through 2006; it includes 1400 deaths caused by negligent discharge. That’s 200 per year, on average. Meanwhile, “On any given day nearly 700 children are harmed due to accidents on our roadways,” articlesbase.com reveals. “Of the 250,000 kids injured each year, approximately 2,000 die from their injuries.”