An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Updated March 2003

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1 National Shooting Sports Foundation Information Services An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Updated March 2003 Major Findings In the decade , unintentional deaths from firearms declined by 45%. Firearms are involved in less than 1% of all accidental deaths in the United States. Unintentional deaths from firearms accounted for only 3% of all firearm-related deaths. Since 1975, the annual number of firearm accident deaths among children has decreased by 84%. In 2000, there was a total of 98,000 unintentional accidental deaths in the United States - 42,900 deaths were caused by motor-vehicle accidents, 14,500 deaths were caused by poisoning, 14,200 deaths were caused by falls, 3,900 deaths were caused by fires, 3,300 deaths were caused by drowning, and 776 deaths were caused by the accidental discharge of a firearm. Number of Unintentional Deaths From Firearms Number of Deaths Years

2 National Shooting Sports Foundation Flintlock Ridge Office Center 11 Mile Hill Road Newtown, Connecticut Phone (203) Fax (203) An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Updated March 2003

3 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States March 2003 Responsive Management Mark Damian Duda, Executive Director Peter E. De Michele, Ph.D., Director of Research Carol Zurawski, Research Associate Martin Jones, Research Associate Joy E. Yoder, Research Associate William Testerman, Survey Center Manager Alison Lanier, Business Manager Steven J. Bissell, Ph.D., Qualitative Research Associate Ping Wang, Ph.D., Quantitative Research Associate James B. Herrick, Ph.D., Research Associate 130 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, VA Phone: 540/ Fax: 540/

4 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States i Table of Contents Table of Contents...i Introduction and Methodology...1 Statistical Data... 3 Firearm-Related Deaths and Injuries... 3 Number of Injuries From Various Recreational Activities Demographic Characteristics of Persons Involved in Firearm-Related Deaths Firearm Accidents and Children Hunting Accidents and Hunter Education... 17

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6 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 1 Introduction and Methodology This report was compiled by Responsive Management on behalf of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to provide updated data on firearm-related accidents. NSSF periodically provides an analysis of firearm-related accidents to its constituents and the public at-large. The previous NSSF report on firearm-related accidents was compiled in November The data compiled in this analysis were gathered from various sources. These sources and a brief description of each are listed below. The National Safety Council compiles information on fatal accidents and publishes these statistics each year in INJURY FACTS. This publication is available from the National Safety Council, 1121 Spring Lake Drive, Itasca, IL or telephone or fax Responsive Management utilized the last INJURY FACTS for the year The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics produces a report, National Vital Statistics Reports. Data on deaths and death rates for 2000 are contained in the National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 50, No. 15, September 16, The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) maintains the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) that collects injury data associated with 15,000 consumer products from U.S. hospital emergency departments. The CPSC produced the report, NEISS Data Highlights for 2001, and the more comprehensive, Injury Estimates for Calendar Year These reports contain information on injuries sustained from BB s, pellets, and air guns, and such activities as archery, fishing, and other recreational activities. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains data on the number of unintentional deaths and injuries from firearm-related accidents. The Hunter Education Program Profile 1999 was provided through the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA). This report is the IHEA s latest report on the status of hunter education programs in all 50 states. This report can be found on the IHEA Website at The IHEA also produces data on the number of hunting and hunting-related firearm incidents. This annual report can be found on the IHEA Website at Both reports can also be obtained by contacting the IHEA directly at the following address: IHEA, PO Box 490, 3725 Cleveland Ave., Wellington, CO or telephone or fax Ikeda, R.M.; R. Gorwitz; S.P. James; K.E. Powell; and J.A. Mercy. Fatal firearm-related injuries in the United States, Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Violence Surveillance Summary Series, No. 3.

7 2 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Injury Fact Book Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; This booklet contains information on injuries in America, demographic data on injury statistics, as well as suggestions for preventing injuries. In addition to the above reports, many other sources of information were utilized or reviewed to conduct this analysis. Some of the additional sources utilized or reviewed include the U.S. Census, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the National Rifle Association. The statistics contained in this report should be used only in the context in which they are presented, as some categories cannot be compared to another by simply extracting data from two or more sources. Different sources seek to present firearm-related accidents in different ways and, thus, are not always directly comparable. Where different sources have been used within the same table or graph, these sources have been noted.

8 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 3 Statistical Data Firearm-Related Deaths and Injuries In 2000, there were 776 deaths and 23,237 non-fatal injuries due to firearm-related accidents in the United States. 1 It is important to differentiate between intentional and unintentional firearmrelated deaths. In 2000, unintentional deaths from firearms accounted for only 3% of all firearmrelated deaths. Suicides accounted for 57% of firearm-related deaths, and homicides accounted for 38% of firearm-related deaths. 2 Since 1993, firearm-related deaths from suicide, homicide, and accidental discharge of a firearm have all declined. However, suicides and homicides continued to account for the vast majority of deaths due to firearms. Percentages of Firearm-Related Deaths by Type of Death, Suicide 57% Accidental discharge of a firearm 3% Legal intervention 1% Undetermined intent 1% Homicide 38%

9 4 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Number of Firearm-Related Mortalities by Type ,000 18,000 16,000 14,000 Number of Deaths 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2, Year Unintentional death from a firearm Homicides Suicides

10 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 5 Trend of Number of Unintentional Deaths From Firearms Part I Number of Deaths 2,000 1,900 1,800 1,700 1,600 1,500 1,400 1,300 1,200 1,100 1, ,871 1,756 1,695 1,668 1,649 1,452 1,440 1,501 1,489 1,416 1, Year Trend of Number of Unintentional Deaths From Firearms Part II Number of Deaths 2,000 1,900 1,800 1,700 1,600 1,500 1,400 1,300 1,200 1,100 1, ,441 1,409 1,521 1,356 1,225 1, Year

11 6 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Number of Unintentional Deaths From Firearms Part I Number of Deaths Years Number of Unintentional Deaths From Firearms Part II Number of Deaths Years

12 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 7 Despite the tragedy of 776 unintentional firearm-related deaths in 2000, the number of unintentional deaths due to firearm-related accidents and the overall rate of unintentional firearm-related deaths have steadily declined. From 1999 to 2000 there was a 5.8% decline in the number of unintentional deaths from firearms 1, 2 ; this decline corresponds to the overall downward trend in firearm-related accidents. In the decade , unintentional deaths from firearms declined by 45%. 1 The line graph on the previous page report the overall number of unintentional deaths from firearms since These graphs depict a general downward progression in the number of unintentional deaths from firearms as well as show that each year since 1979, with a few exceptions of 1989, the number of unintentional deaths from firearms has declined. The death rate from unintentional firearm-related accidents has also steadily declined. Since 1981, the rate of death per 1,000 people due to unintentional firearm-related accidents has declined from 0.8% to 0.3% in The death rate due to unintentional firearm-related accidents is lower than the death rates by drowning, fires, or falls. Trend in Firearm-related Accidental Death Rates, Death Rate per 1,000 People Years

13 8 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Comparison of Unintentional Death Rates Per 1,000 People, Death Rate per 1,000 People Motor vehicle Poisoning Falls Suffocation Fires Drowning 0.3 Firearms

14 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 9 Firearms are involved in 0.82% of all accidental deaths in the United States. 2 Many other common causes of death account for higher percentages of accidental deaths than do firearms. For example, most accidental deaths involve motor vehicles (44%), poisoning (15%), falls (14%), suffocation, (4%), fires (4%), drowning (3%), and environmental factors (1%). 2 Percentage Comparison of Causes of Unintentional Death, Suffocation 4.29% Fires 3.98% Firearm accidents 0.82% Environmental factors 1.12% Drowning 3.37% All other types 13.37% Falls 14.49% Motor vehicle accidents 43.78% Poisoning 14.80%

15 10 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Comparison in Causes of Unintentional Deaths ,000 45,000 42,900 Number of Unintentional Deaths 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 14,500 14,200 4,200 3,900 3,300 1, Motor vehicle accidents Poisoning Falls Suffocation Fires Drowning Environmental factors Firearm accidents

16 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 11 Number of Injuries From Various Recreational Activities Below is a graph depicting injuries in various recreational activities. Included in this list is the number of firearm-related accidents. This graph should not be used, however, to make direct comparisons concerning the relative safety of a recreational activity. The data for this graph show estimates of injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms. Because this graph depicts a self-selected group engaging in recreational activities and the frequency and duration of participation is unknown, direct comparison on the relative safety of each activity should not be made. This graph can be used to dispel the myth that activities associated with firearms are inherently dangerous, as it shows that many recreational activities have high levels of injury associated with them. 2 Number of Injuries in Various Recreational Activites Basketball Football Baseball & Softball Soccer Swimming Horseback riding Fishing Wrestling Golf Tennis Firearm-related activities Snowmobiling Boxing Archery Mountain climbing Number of Injuries (in thousands)

17 12 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Demographic Characteristics of Persons Involved in Firearm-Related Deaths Deaths due to unintentional firearm-related accidents were predominately of white males. 1 Eighty-six percent of firearm-related deaths were of males. In 2000, of the 776 deaths from firearm-related accidents, 671 victims were male, and 105 victims were female. Eighty-one percent of victims of unintentional firearm-related deaths were white, 19% were black. 1 More unintentional firearm-related deaths, in 2000, occurred to persons aged 15 to 24 than any other age cohort 1. High numbers of unintentional firearm-related deaths also occurred to persons aged and

18 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 13 Percent of Deaths from Accidental Discharge of a Firearm by Gender, Female 14% Male 86% Percent of Deaths from Accidental Discharge of a Firearm by Race, Black 19% White 81%

19 14 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Number of Deaths from Accidental Discharge of a Firearm by Gender and Age Number of Deaths Under Age and over Male Female Number of Deaths from Accidental Discharge of a Firearm by Race and Age, Number of Deaths Under Age and over White Black

20 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 15 Unintentional Firearm Deaths by Month, Number of Deaths January February March April May June July Month August September October November December Number of Deaths from Accidental Discharge of a Firearm by Age, Number of Deaths Under Years and over 7 11

21 16 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Firearm Accidents and Children Firearm-related accidents were the sixth leading cause of unintentional death among children and youth 24 years and younger in The leading causes of unintentional deaths among children and youth in 1999 were motor-vehicle crashes, drowning, poisoning, fires, falls, and firearms. 2 Three hundred thirty-nine children and youth (1-24 years) died from firearm-related accidents in 1999; this represents 1.8% of all types of unintentional deaths (e.g., drowning, fires, falls) 2. A slight decrease in unintentional deaths from firearms among children and youth was evident from Two hundred eighty-eight children and youth died in 2000 from unintentional death from a firearm, 1 a decrease of 51 deaths over Since 1975, the annual number of firearm accident deaths among children has decreased by 84%. 3 Most deaths resulting from firearm-related accidents were among youth years of age. 2 The high number of deaths from firearm-related accidents displayed by the years of age cohort corresponds to a high percentage of fatal hunting accidents among persons age years of age. Forty-eight percent of fatal hunting accidents occurred to persons years old. 4 Number of Deaths by Accidental Discharge of a Firearm Among Children & Youth, 2000 Under Total Years Years Years Years Years Number of Deaths in Number of Deaths in

22 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 17 Hunting Accidents and Hunter Education Formal, state-sponsored hunter education began in 1946 when the Commonwealth of Kentucky initiated the first formal firearms safety course. 5 In 1949, New York became the first state to pass a law requiring hunter safety training. 6 Since 1978, all 50 states have offered hunter education, and today each state has an agency responsible for hunter safety education. The International Hunter Education Association reports that 49 states require a mandatory hunter education requirement before a person may purchase a hunting license. Additional specific hunting education requirements for bowhunting and muzzleloader vary by state. Today, state agencies responsible for hunter safety education are working together to help standardize hunter education programs. 5 Over 650 thousand hunters in the U.S. complete a hunter education course each year, and since 1949 over 20 million persons have received hunter education certification. 5 In 2000, there were 91 fatal hunting accidents and 835 non-fatal hunting accidents. Seventy-one percent of fatal hunting accidents involved two parties, 29% of fatal hunting accidents were selfinflicted. Sixty-eight percent of non-fatal hunting accidents involved two parties, 32% of nonfatal hunting accidents were self-inflicted. 4 The leading cause of firearm-related hunting accidents and deaths was hunter judgment factors (51% of firearm-related hunting accidents and deaths). The leading cause among hunter judgment factors was the accidental shooting of another while the shooter was swinging on game. Thirty-one percent of firearm-related hunting accidents and 36% of deaths were caused by poor hunter skill and aptitude, with the most common reason for accidents and deaths in this category being the careless handling of a firearm. Eleven percent of firearm-related hunting accidents and 5% of deaths were caused by miscellaneous factors such as ricocheted bullets. Seven percent of firearm-related hunting accidents were caused by basic safety and law violations such as removing/placing a loaded firearm in a vehicle. 4 Most firearm-related hunting deaths occurred with a rifle, followed by a shotgun. Much lower numbers of firearm-related hunting accidents and deaths occurred with a handgun or a muzzleloader. 4

23 18 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States In the following tables the term incidents refers to the discharge of a firearm or bow while hunting that caused injury or death of any person. Hunting and Hunting Related-Incidents by Shooter s Age, Two-Party Incidents Self-Inflicted Incidents Fatal Non- Sub- Fatal Non- Subtotal Total Fatal Total Fatal 1-9 Years Years Years Years Years Years and Over Unknown Total

24 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 19 Contributing Factors to Hunting and Hunting-Related Incidents, Two-Party Incidents Self-Inflicted Incidents Fatal Non- Sub-Total Fatal Non- Subtotal Total Fatal Fatal HUNTER JUDGEMENT FACTORS Victim Moved into Line of Fire Victim Covered by Shooter Swinging on Game Victim Out of Sight of Shooter Failure to Identify Target Subtotal SKILL AND APPTITUDE FACTORS Trigger Caught on Object Loading Firearm Unloading Firearm Improper Crossing of Obstacle Dropped Firearm Careless Handling of Firearm Shooter Stumbled and Fell Subtotal BASIC SAFETY/LAW VIOLATION Running/Walking with Loaded Firearm Removing/Placing Loaded Firearm in Vehicle Using Firearm as a Club Discharge Firearm in/on Vehicle Firearm Fell from Insecure Rest Shooting from/across Roadway Horseplay while Hunting Subtotal ARCHERY RELATED FACTORS Subtotal MISCELLANEOUS FACTORS Improper Powder Substitution Mixed Ammunition/Incorrect Ammunition Faulty Equipment Ricochet Obstruction in Barrel Other Unknown Subtotal Total

25 20 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States Hunting and Hunting Related-Incidents by Equipment Used, Two-Party Incidents Self-Inflicted Incidents Fatal Non- Sub- Fatal Non- Subtotal Total Fatal Total Fatal Shotgun Rifle Handgun Muzzleloader Bow Crossbow Other Total

26 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 21 Hunting and Hunting Related-Incidents by Animal Hunted, Two-Party Incidents Self-Inflicted Incidents Fatal Non- Sub- Fatal Non- Subtotal Total Fatal Total Fatal Antelope Bear Bobcat Cottontail Coyote Crow Deer Duck/Geese Dove/Pigeon Elk Fox Grouse Hares Javelina Moose Non-game Bird/Mammal Pheasant Quail Raccoon/Opossum Squirrel Spring Turkey Fall Turkey Wild Boar Other Upland Game Birds Other Unknown Total

27 22 An Analysis of Firearm-Related Accidents in the United States 1 Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC. 2000, United States Unintentional Firearm Deaths and Rates per 100,000. WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System). 28, January National Safety Council. (2002). Injury Facts, 2002 Edition. Itasca, IL. 3 National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. (2002). Fact Sheet: Firearm Safety in America January Wentz, Jim. International Hunter Education Association. (2000). Annual Report of Hunting and Hunting Related Incidents January International Hunter Education Program. (1999). Hunter Education Program Profile January The State of Hawaii, Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement. The History of Hunter Education 26 February 2003.