The odds of dying from...

The table below was prepared in response to frequent inquiries asking questions such as, "What are the odds of being killed by lightning?" or "What are the chances of dying in a plane crash?"

The odds given below are statistical averages over the whole U.S. population and do not necessarily reflect the chances of death for a particular person from a particular external cause. Any individual’s odds of dying from various external causes are affected by the activities in which they participate, where they live and drive, what kind of work they do, and other factors.

The table has four columns. The first column gives the manner of injury such as motor-vehicle crash, fall, fire, etc. The second column gives the total number of deaths nationwide due to the manner of injury in 2005 (the latest year for which data are available). The third column gives the odds of dying in one year due to the manner of injury. The fourth column gives the lifetime odds of dying from the manner of injury. Statements about the odds or chances of dying from a given cause of death may be made as follows.

The odds of dying from (manner of injury) in 2005 were 1 in (value given in the one-year odds column).
The life-time odds of dying from (manner of injury) for a person born in 2005 were 1 in (value given in the lifetime odds column).

For example, referring to the first line of the table below:

The odds of dying from an injury in 2005 were 1 in 1,681.
The lifetime odds of dying from an injury for a person born in 2005 were 1 in 22.

Note: Odds based on less than 20 deaths are likely to be unstable from year to year – use with caution.

Source: National Safety Council estimates based on data from National Center for Health Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau. Deaths are classified on the basis of the Tenth Revision of the World Health Organization’s "The International Classification of Diseases"(ICD). Numbers following titles refer to External Cause of Morbidity and Mortality classifications in ICD-10. One year odds are approximated by dividing the 2005 population (296,507,061) by the number of deaths. Lifetime odds are approximated by dividing the one-year odds by the life expectancy of a person born in 2005 (77.8 years).

Odds of Death Due to Injury, United States, 2005

Type of Accident or Manner of Injury				Deaths	One Year Odds	Lifetime Odds
All External Causes of Mortality, V01-Y89a, U01b, U03b				176,406	1,681	22
	Deaths Due to Unintentional (Accidental) Injuries, V01-X59, Y85-Y86			117,809	2,517	32
		Transport Accidents, V01-V99, Y85		48,441	6,121	79
		Motor-Vehicle Accidents, V02-V04, V09.0, V12-V14, V19.0-V19.2, V19.4-V19.6, V20-V79, V80.3-V80.5, V81.0-V81.1, V82.0-V82.1, V83-V86, V87.0-V87.8, V88.0-V88.8, V89.0, V89.2		45,343	6,539	84
		Pedestrian, V01-V09		6,074	48,816	627
		Pedalcyclist, V10-V19		927	319,857	4,111
		Motorcycle rider, V20-V29		4,387	67,588	869
		Occupant of three-wheeled motor vehicle, V30-V39		5	59,301,412	762,229
		Car occupant, V40-V49		14,584	20,331	261
		Occupant of pick-up truck or van, V50-V59		3,797	78,090	1,004
		Occupant of heavy transport vehicle, V60-V69		450	658,905	8,469
		Bus occupant, V70-V79		59	5,025,543	64,596
		Animal rider or occupant of animal-drawn vehicle, V80		120	2,470,892	31,760
		Occupant of railway train or railway vehicle, V81		33	8,985,062	115,489
		Occupant of streetcar, V82		0	----	---
		Other and unspecified land transport accidents, V83-V89		16,148	18,362	236
			Occupant of special industrial vehicle, V83	19	15,605,635	200,587
			Occupant of special agricultural vehicle, V84	154	1,925,371	24,748
			Occupant of special construction vehicle, V85	33	8,985,062	115,489
			Occupant of all-terrain or other off-road motor vehicle, V86	1040	285,103	3,665
			Other and unspecified person, V87-V89	14,902	19,897	256
		Water transport accidents, V90-V94		523	566,935	7,287
			Drowning, V90, V92	394	752,556	9,673
			Other and unspecified injuries, V91, V93-V94	129	2,298,504	29,544
		Air and space transport accidents, V95-V97		590	502,554	6,460
		Other and unspecified transport accidents and sequelae, V98-V99, Y85		744	398,531	5,123
			Other specified transport accidents, V98	2	148,253,531	1,905,572
			Unspecified transport accident, V99	18	16,472,615	211,730
		Nontransport Unintentional (Accidental) Injuries, W00-X59, Y86		69,368	4,274	55
		Falls, W00-W19		19,656	15,085	194
			Fall on same level from slipping, tripping, and stumbling, W01	698	424,795	5,460
			Other fall on same level, W00, W02-W03, W18	5,224	56,759	730
			Fall involving bed, chair, other furniture, W06-W08	899	329,819	4,239
			Fall on and from stairs and steps, W10	1,690	175,448	2,255
			Fall on and from ladder or scaffolding, W11-W12	477	621,608	7,990
			Fall from out of or through building or structure, W13	533	556,298	7,150
			Other fall from one level to another, W09, W14-W17	694	427,244	5,492
			Other and unspecified fall, W04-W05, W19	9,441	31,406	404
		Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces, W20-W49		2,845	104,220	1,340
			Struck by or striking against object, W20-W22	854	347,198	4,463
			Caught between objects, W23	103	2,878,709	37,001
			Contact with machinery, W24, W30-W31	755	392,725	5,048
			Contact with sharp objects, W25-W29	85	3,488,318	44,837
			Firearms discharge, W32-W34	789	375,801	4,830
			Explosion and rupture of pressurized devices, W35-W38	26	11,404,118	146,582
			Fireworks discharge, W39	4	74,126,765	952,786
			Explosion of other materials, W40	147	2,017,055	25,926
			Foreign body entering through skin or natural orifice, W44-W45	37	8,013,704	103,004
			Other and unspecified inanimate mechanical forces, W41-W43, W49	45	6,589,046	84,692
		Exposure to animate mechanical forces, W50-W64		161	1,841,659	23,672
			Struck by or against another person, W50-W52	26	11,404,118	146,582
			Bitten or struck by dog, W54	33	8,985,062	115,489
			Bitten or struck by other mammals, W53, W55	80	3,706,338	47,639
			Bitten or stung by nonvenomous insect and other arthropods, W57	9	32,945,229	423,461
			Bitten or crushed by other reptiles, W59	0	---	---
			Other and unspecified animate mechanical forces, W56, W58, W60, W64	13	22,808,235	293,165
		Accidental drowning and submersion, W65-W74		3,582	82,777	1,064
			Drowning and submersion while in or falling into bath-tub, W65-W66	344	861,939	11,079
			Drowning and submersion while in or falling into swimming-pool, W67-W68	607	488,480	6,279
			Drowning and submersion while in or falling into natural water, W69-W70	1,603	184,970	2,378
			Other and unspecified drowning and submersion, W73-W74	1,028	288,431	3,707
		Other accidental threats to breathing, W75-W84		5,900	50,255	646
			Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, W75	573	517,464	6,651
			Other accidental hanging and strangulation, W76	274	1,082,143	13,909
			Threat to breathing due to cave-in, falling earth and other substances, W77	50	5,930,141	76,223
			Inhalation of gastric contents, W78	333	890,412	11,445
			Inhalation and ingestion of food causing obstruction of respiratory tract, W79	864	343,179	4,411
			Inhalation and ingestion of other objects causing obstruction of respiratory tract, W80	3,189	92,978	1,195
			Confined to or trapped in a low-oxygen environment, W81	14	21,179,076	272,225
			Other and unspecified threats to breathing, W83-W84	603	491,720	6,320
		Exposure to electric current, radiation, temperature, and pressure, W85-W99		420	705,969	9,074
			Electric transmission lines, W85	105	2,823,877	36,297
			Other and unspecified electric current, W86-W87	293	1,011,969	13,007
			Radiation, W88-W91	0	---	---
			Excessive heat or cold of man-made origin, W92-W93	13	22,808,235	293,165
			High and low air pressure and changes in air pressure, W94	9	32,945,229	423,461
			Other and unspecified man-made environmental factors, W99	0	---	---
		Exposure to smoke, fire and flames, X00-X09		3,197	92,745	1,192
			Uncontrolled fire in building or structure, X00	2,617	113,300	1,456
			Uncontrolled fire not in building or structure, X01	52	5,702,059	73,291
			Controlled fire in building or structure, X02	28	10,589,538	136,112
			Controlled fire not in building or structure, X03	33	8,985,062	115,489
			Ignition of highly flammable material, X04	63	4,706,461	60,494
			Ignition or melting of nightwear, X05	6	49,417,844	635,191
			Ignition or melting of other clothing and apparel, X06	97	3,056,774	39,290
			Other and unspecified smoke fire and flames, X08-X09	301	985,073	12,662
		Contact with heat and hot substances, X10-X19		102	2,906,932	37,364
			Contact with hot tap-water, X11	43	6,895,513	88,631
			Other and unspecified heat and hot substances, X10, X12-X19	59	5,025,543	64,596
		Contact with venomous animals and plants, X20-X29		105	2,823,877	36,297
			Contact with venomous snakes and lizards, X20	7	42,358,152	544,449
			Contact with venomous spiders, X21	10	29,650,706	381,114
			Contact with hornets, wasps and bees, X23	82	3,615,940	46,477
			Contact with other and unspecified venomous animal or plant, X22, X24-X29	6	49,417,844	635,191
		Exposure to forces of nature, X30-X39		2,179	136,075	1,749
			Exposure to excessive natural heat, X30	466	636,281	8,178
			Exposure to excessive natural cold, X31	700	423,582	5,444
			Lightning, X33	48	6,177,230	79,399
			Earthquake and other earth movements, X34-X36	37	8,013,704	103,004
			Cataclysmic storm, X37	874	339,253	4,361
			Flood, X38	12	24,708,922	317,595
			Exposure to other and unspecified forces of nature, X32, X39	42	7,059,692	90,742
		Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances, X40-X49		23,618	12,554	161
			Nonopioid analgesics, antipyretics, and antirheumatics, X40	226	1,311,978	16,863
			Antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic, antiparkinsonism, and psychotropic drugs n.e.c., X41	1,496	198,200	2,548
			Narcotics and psychodysleptics [hallucinogens] n.e.c., X42	11,050	26,833	345
			Other and unspecified drugs, medicaments, and biologicals, X43-X44	9,676	30,644	394
			Alcohol, X45	346	856,957	11,015
			Gases and vapours, X46-X47	703	421,774	5,421
			Other and unspecified chemicals and noxious substances, X48-X49	121	2,450,472	31,497
		Overexertion, travel and privation, X50-X57		32	9,265,846	119,098
		Accidental exposure to other and unspecified factors and sequelae, X58-X59, Y86		7,571	39,164	503
	Intentional self-harm, X60-X84, Y87.0, *U03b			32,637	9,085	117
		Intentional self-poisoning, X60-X69		5,744	51,620	664
		Intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation, and suffocation, X70		7,248	40,909	526
		Intentional self-harm by firearm, X72-X74		17,002	17,440	224
		Other and unspecified means and sequelae, X71, X75-X84, Y87.0, *U03b		2,643	112,186	1,442
	Assault, X85-Y09, Y87.1, *U01b			18,124	16,360	210
		Assault by firearm, X93-X95		12,352	24,005	309
		Assault by sharp object, X99		2,097	141,396	1,817
		Other and unspecified means and sequelae, X85-X92, X96-X98, Y00-Y09, Y87.1,*U01b		3,675	80,682	1,037
	Event of undetermined intent, Y10-Y34, Y87.2, Y89.9			4,742	62,528	804
		Poisoning, Y10-Y19		3,240	91,515	1,176
		Hanging, strangulation, and suffocation, Y20		139	2,133,144	27,418
		Drowning and submersion, Y21		242	1,225,236	15,749
		Firearm discharge, Y22-Y24		221	1,341,661	17,245
		Exposure to smoke, fire, and flames, Y26		120	2,470,892	31,760
		Falling, jumping, or pushed from a high place, Y30		69	4,297,204	55,234
		Other and unspecified means and sequelae, Y25, Y27-Y29, Y31-Y34,Y87.2, Y89.9		711	417,028	5,360
	Legal intervention, Y35, Y89.0			441	716,201	9,206
		Legal intervention involving firearm discharge, Y35.0		330	898,506	11,549
		Legal execution, Y35.5		54	5,490,872	70,577
		Other and unspecified means and sequelae, Y35.1-Y35.4, Y35.6-Y35.7, Y89.0		30	9,883,569	127,038
	Operations of war and sequelae, Y36, Y89.1			27	10,981,743	141,154
	Complications of medical and surgical care and sequelae, Y40-Y84, Y88.0-Y88.3			2,653	111,763	1,437

aNumbers following titles refer to external cause of injury and poisoning classifications in the Tenth Revision of "The International Classification of Diseases" (ICD-10).

bThe manner of injury for ICD-10 code *U01 is Assault by Terrorism; for code *U03 it is Intentional Self-Harm by Terrorism

Send an e-mail to rssdept@nsc.org with questions or for additional information.