Death Probability Quantification: A Statistical Undertaking
In the realm of public health and safety, the National Safety Council's Injury Facts 2011 offers a comprehensive overview of various causes of death across the United States. Instead of focusing on "old age" as a cause of death, this report categorises deaths under specific headings such as unintentional injuries, diseases, and violence.
Unintentional injuries, a significant concern, encompass a variety of incidents, including falls (the second leading cause of unintentional death in homes and communities, with over 25,000 fatalities annually) and motor vehicle crashes. The latter includes speed-related crashes, which accounted for approximately 29% of motor vehicle fatalities in recent data.
Another notable category is drug overdoses, which have seen a significant increase since 2011.
However, deaths attributed strictly to "old age" are not categorised or given a percentage in this report or similar injury-focused statistics. Instead, deaths in older persons are typically attributed to specific diseases (heart disease, cancer, stroke, etc.) or incidents (falls, accidents).
Here's a snapshot of some other causes of death and their corresponding percentages, as reported by the National Safety Council Injury Facts 2011:
- Motorcycle accidents lead to 1 in 770 deaths.
- Accidental poisoning by toxic substances happens to 1 in 130 people during their lifetime.
- Bitten/attacked by dog results in 1 in 120,864 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- Fireworks discharge results in 1 in 386,766 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- Exposure to excessive natural heat results in 1 in 12,517 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- Cancer is responsible for 1 in 7 lifetime deaths.
- Accidental drowning occurs in 1 out of 1,123 people during their lifetime.
- Contact with hornets, wasps and bees results in 1 in 71,623 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- Exposure to smoke/fire results in 1 in 1,177 deaths.
- Falls claim the lives of 1 in 171 people.
- Firearms discharge results in 1 in 6,309 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- Cycling results in 1 in 4,717 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- A car accident is the cause of death for 1 in 303 people.
- Exposure to electric current, radiation, temperature or pressure results in 1 in 9,943 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- Heart disease accounts for 1 in 6 lifetime deaths.
- Flood results in 1 in 175,803 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- Assault by firearms results in 1 in 306 deaths.
- Stroke occurs in 1 out of 28 people during their lifetime.
- Cataclysmic storm results in 1 in 46,044 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- Air and space transport accidents result in 1 in 7,032 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- Earthquake results in 1 in 148,756 deaths during a person's lifetime.
- Lightning results in 1 in 84,079 deaths during a person's lifetime.
In conclusion, the National Safety Council Injury Facts 2011 and similar injury-focused datasets do not list or quantify deaths from "old age" as a cause. Deaths are categorised under specific causes such as falls, motor vehicle crashes, poisoning, and other injury causes. Older adults may die from various causes, but old age itself is not reported as a death cause or percentage in NSC Injury Facts 2011.
- The National Safety Council's Injury Facts 2011, focusing on injuries rather than old age as a cause of death, also includes categories for causes such as health-and-wellness issues like cancer (responsible for 1 in 7 lifetime deaths) and heart disease (accounts for 1 in 6 lifetime deaths).
- Furthermore, this dataset also covers unintentional injuries in space and technology, with air and space transport accidents resulting in 1 in 7,032 deaths during a person's lifetime.
