UNINTENTIONAL INJURY NOT RELATED TO MOTOR VEHICLES

The highest rate of death due to unintentional injuries not related to motor vehicles occurs among the elderly (Table M11). Although the deaths rates were highest in the elderly population in 1996, the largest number of deaths occurred in the 25 through 44 year age group; this age group in addition to persons 45 through 64 were the only ones with higher death rates in 1996 than in 1987. The major cause of non-motor vehicle-related unintentional injury deaths among young adults, those aged 25 through 44 years, is poisoning by drugs, medicaments, and biologicals. This category includes accidental overdose of drugs. In 1996, there were 420 deaths of persons aged 25 through 44 from unintentional drug poisonings. This represents 76.5 percent of the unintentional injury deaths not related to motor vehicles in this age group.

Among the elderly, falls were the major cause of unintentional injury deaths other than those related to motor vehicles. There were 182 deaths from falls of persons 65 and over: 38 persons 65 though 74, 58 individuals 75 through 84, and 86 persons 85 and over (CHS, 1998b). The next ranking cause of unintentional injury deaths among the elderly was inhalation and ingestion of food or other object causing obstruction of the respiratory tract or suffocation. Fourteen persons in the 65 through 74 year age group died from this cause, plus 27 persons 75 through 84 years of age and 26 persons 85 and over.

The number of deaths and the death rate from non-motor vehicle-related unintentional injuries remain higher than those related to motor vehicles. Motor vehicle-related injuries accounted for 39.6 percent of the total unintentional injury deaths in 1996, while injuries not related to motor vehicles were responsible for the remaining 60.4 percent.