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Accidents (Unintentional Injuries)

Home > Men's Health Home > Top Health Concerns of Men > Accidents (Unintentional Injuries)

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Accidents, also called unintentional injuries, are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, and account for one of every four people treated in an emergency department.

Death can result from many types of accidents, such as:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Drug overdose
• Falls
• Fires

In many cases, accidental injury can be prevented. Here are just a few steps you can take to lower your risk of injury, and even death:

• Don't drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or while sleepy. Also don't accept a ride with an impaired driver.
• Wear your seat belt.
• Drive the speed limit and obey traffic laws.
• Look for safety issues around your home safe—Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working. Remove tripping hazards that can cause falls, such as cords or loose rugs.
• Use the handrail on stairs.
• Use safety gear during sports activities, such as a helmet when biking.
• Follow workplace safety guidelines and OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) standards.
• Learn to swim.
• Use care with ladders, power equipment, and chemicals when working around the home.

Additional Resources

Publications

1.   Impaired Driving Fact Sheet - This fact sheet provides statistics on the occurrence, consequences, and cost of impaired driving. It highlights specific groups at risk for injury and death due to impaired driving and lists prevention strategies that have worked in the past.

   http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drving.htm

2.   Injury Related Websites - This Internet site from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides referrals to Internet sites containing information on injuries. The CDC is not responsible for the information on these Internet sites.

   http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/injweb/websites.htm

3.   Unintentional Injury Prevention - This web site, from the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention in CDC's Injury Center, links to fact sheets, publications, prevention information, and statistics about unintentional injury.

   http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/duip.htm

4. SOPHE Unintentional Injury and Violence Prevention (Copyright © SOHPE) - The SOPHE injury prevention website is designed to strengthen the connection between behavioral science and health education with more comprehensive approaches to unintentional injury and violence prevention.

   http://www.sophe.org/ui/index.html

5. What is the Rehabilitation Process? (Copyright © Brain Injury Association of America) - This fact sheet discusses the different types of rehabilitation support and facilities that are used to help people with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

   http://www.biausa.org/Pages/what_is_the_rehab_process.html

Organizations

1.   National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC, OPHS, HHS
2.   National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT
3.   U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
4. National Fire Protection Association
5. National Resource Center for Safe Aging
6. Prevention Institute

= Indicates Federal Resources