Since 1999, preventable injury-related deaths occurring in public places have increased by 113%, totaling 47,300 deaths in 2021. This increase has largely been driven by a 575% increase in poisoning deaths and a 206% increase in fall deaths. The poisoning deaths increase is primarily a result of drug overdoses. The increase in fall deaths reflects a dramatic increase in the number of older adult fall deaths.
Use this interactive chart to explore the trends in preventable injury-related deaths occurring in public places by leading cause of death.
- Chart
- Data Table
The National Safety Council (NSC) adopted the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) count for work-related unintentional injuries beginning with 1992 data. This affected long-term historical comparisons for the work, home, and public classes. Beginning with 1999 data, deaths are classified according to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Caution should be used in comparing current data with data classified under prior revisions. See the Technical Appendix for more information.