Leading Causes of Fatal Injuries in Children and Teenagers

It’s always unfortunate when you read about children and young people suffering severe or fatal injuries in an accident, especially one that could have been prevented. During the summertime it’s common to read about hot car deaths or children involved in drowning accidents. However, some of the most common accidents that young people suffer from, especially teenagers, are car accidents. According to research from The New England Journal of Medicine, motor vehicle crashes accounted for 20% of deaths among children ages 1 to 19 years old. The second most common cause of fatal injuries are accidents related to firearms, followed by unintentional poisoning. Some accidents cannot be avoided, but by enforcing safe driving rules and discussing the dangers of firearms and drugs, you could prevent a loved one from sustaining serious injuries.

Why Are Car Accidents One of the Main Causes of Injuries in Teens?

Motor vehicle crashes are regularly stated as one of the most common accidents that teenagers are involved in and they carry a higher risk than the rest of the population of suffering one. Teen car accident statistics show that teenagers are more likely to cause a fatal car accident due to their inexperience behind the wheel. This lack of experience leads them to take risky decisions which could result in an accident. Not only are they inexperienced drivers but they are also most likely to engage in distracting activities while driving such as, texting, talking on the phone, changing the music, or eating.

How to Prevent a Teenage Car Accident

One of the simplest ways you can prevent your teenager from causing a car accident is to make sure they have enough practice behind the wheel before they drive on their own. Teach young drivers the dangers of driving while distracted and the criminal consequences of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Don’t let your child drive unless you are sure they are mature enough to make the right decisions on the road, an inexperienced and irresponsible driver not only puts their own life at risk but also other drivers’ lives.

How to Lower the Risk of a Firearm-Related Injury

If you own a gun and keep it at home, make sure that the gun is stored safely in a locked case out of children’s reach. All guns should be stored unloaded and bullets should be kept separately from the gun. Bullets and other ammunition should also be kept in a lock box and placed where children or teenagers cannot find it. Practice gun safety by discussing with your children and teenagers the basics of gun safety and emphasizing that guns are not toys and should never be played with. Teach children never to touch a gun and to let an adult know if they find one. It only takes a few seconds for a child or teenager with a gun to cause severe or fatal injuries. Make sure you practice gun safety and speak to your children about the dangers of inadequate gun use.

Unintentional Poisoning in Children and Teenagers

According to the CDC, another main cause of unintentional injuries in teenagers is unintentional poisoning. Unintentional poisoning accounts for roughly 10% of all unintentional fatal injuries sustained by teenagers from 1999 to 2006. Many of these unintentional fatal injuries are caused by opioid overdoses. Talk to your teenagers about the dangers of consuming drugs, including health complications, addiction, criminal charges, and the lasting effects a drug addiction can have on the rest of your life. Avoid the risk of an unintentional poisoning in children by keeping all medicines away from their reach and locked safely in a cabinet. Don’t store cleaning products where they can easily access them. Most cleaning products and pill bottles have secure caps, but other products that may also cause harm may not, never leave your child unattended when these products are close to them.

The safety of children and young adults should be a priority in every household. By following safe firearm storage, teaching young drivers how to drive safely and talking about the dangers of drugs you could prevent a loved one from suffering an accident.