Introduction

Since 2000, the number of accidental home and community deaths increased 146% to 127,000. Many of the statistics are sobering.

• Accidental poisonings jumped from 12,700 in 2000 to 64,600 in 2017, caused by the opioid epidemic.
• Fatal slips and falls increased from 12,600 to 35,000 primarily due to the aging of the population.
• Over 750,000 Americans are injured during recreational sports each year, and brain injuries cause more fatalities than any other sports injury. 
• Each year, over half a million people are injured and 900 are killed in bicycle accidents.  In fact, more children ages 5 to 14 are injured in biking accidents than any other sport. However, here is an encouraging statistic: Bike helmets are between 85 and 88% effective in preventing brain injuries.    
• Playground accidents injure 150,000 children a year.  Playground surfacing is critical because 79% of these accidents involve falls. 

The Institute’s Community Safety Leadership Program addresses each of these issues.