Guns overtake car crashes as leading cause of death for US kids

[Commodus]

So says CDC data. More than 4,300 children 19 or younger died of gunshots in 2020 (the newest available data), while roughly 3,900 died from crashes.

Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States | NEJM

Correspondence from The New England Journal of Medicine — Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States

www.nejm.org

The potential reasons are somewhat complex. The BBC pointed out a surge in gun adoption during the pandemic, so children might simply have more access to firearms and thus more chances for accidents or violence. At the same time, car safety has been improving over time and may have finally reduced deaths to a symbolic tipping point. It'll be difficult to get a complete answer as Republicans have blocked CDC attempts to directly study gun violence.

However, this could finally silence a red herring that hardcore gun advocates frequently the use: the "but more kids died from..." argument. Sorry, folks, but you can't try to avoid dealing with the problem by pointing to another form of tragedy. If you think body count alone should dictate priorities (it shouldn't), you have to deal with minors' access to guns now.

Not that this will stop firearm diehards from finding other excuses to avoid addressing the problem, but it will be fun to watch them twist themselves into logical pretzels in the process.

 

[UNCjigga]

But but but there were 600,000+ abortions so obviously that’s the real killer of kids!!!

 

[kt]

But guns don't kill people, people kill people. So let's get rid of gun carrying people... wait what?

 

[nakedfrog]

The tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of children.

 

[brycejones]

This why we can’t have research into gun deaths. It gets really inconvenient for the death lobby

 

[Captante]

But guns don't kill people, people kill people. So let's get rid of gun carrying people... wait what?

😡😡 HAVE THEM SHOT !!1!!1! 😡 😡




😉

 

[Meghan54]

So says CDC data. More than 4,300 children 19 or younger died of gunshots in 2020 (the newest available data), while roughly 3,900 died from crashes.

Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States | NEJM

Correspondence from The New England Journal of Medicine — Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States

www.nejm.org

The potential reasons are somewhat complex. The BBC pointed out a surge in gun adoption during the pandemic, so children might simply have more access to firearms and thus more chances for accidents or violence. At the same time, car safety has been improving over time and may have finally reduced deaths to a symbolic tipping point. It'll be difficult to get a complete answer as Republicans have blocked CDC attempts to directly study gun violence.

However, this could finally silence a red herring that hardcore gun advocates frequently the use: the "but more kids died from..." argument. Sorry, folks, but you can't try to avoid dealing with the problem by pointing to another form of tragedy. If you think body count alone should dictate priorities (it shouldn't), you have to deal with minors' access to guns now.

Not that this will stop firearm diehards from finding other excuses to avoid addressing the problem, but it will be fun to watch them twist themselves into logical pretzels in the process.

Let’s also not forget miles traveled per person was very much decreased in 2020. That may be a bit of a reason car fatalities dropped.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Let’s also not forget miles traveled per person was very much decreased in 2020. That may be a bit of a reason car fatalities dropped.

The numbers show that firearm deaths had been trending up since 2016, and vehicle deaths have decrease greatly in the last 20 years

The article is informative, and points to bigger issues with kids having a good deal of free time on their hands in 2020 IMO. Combine that with the sheer quantity of unsecured guns we have and it’s just the recipe to finish putting gun deaths in the lead. The amount of poisonings in youth increased big time in 2020 also.

 

[Zorba]

Let’s also not forget miles traveled per person was very much decreased in 2020. That may be a bit of a reason car fatalities dropped.

Probably especially so for children.

 

[manly]

Car accident deaths actually went up in 2020, and likely again in 2021 when final figures are released. In short, speed kills (despite fewer miles driven in pandemic year 1). The long-term trend had been downward as autos have gotten safer. But in particular, distracted driving is maiming more pedestrians than before.

A pedestrian has a 10 percent chance of dying when hit by a car at 23 miles per hour, a 25 percent chance at 32 mph, and a 75 percent chance at 50 mph.

America’s car crash epidemic

Driving kills as many Americans each year as guns do. Experts say that’s preventable.

www.vox.com

 

[Captante]

Car accident deaths actually went up in 2020, and likely again in 2021 when final figures are released.

It's worse out there right now then I've ever seen it in all the years I've been driving.... the number of people who are straight-up driving angry to insanely is off the charts per my buddy the State Trooper AND per my own observation.

Also a lot of people that have no idea how to drive without an electronic "nanny" holding their hand full-time now tool around in 500hp 2+ ton SUV's and/or big sport-sedans that do 0-60 in under 4 seconds.

It's a recipe for disaster that gets whipped up daily on I-95. 🙁

 

[ch33zw1z]

Weird this thread doesn’t have a lot of responses. I’d wager that’s because we’re just ok with it now, it’s acceptable, nothing can be done /shruggie

 

[ivwshane]

Weird this thread doesn’t have a lot of responses. I’d wager that’s because we’re just ok with it now, it’s acceptable, nothing can be done /shruggie

Well if you don’t want your kids getting shot the solution is pretty easy, don’t have kids.

What? Did you think the easy solution was to start banning guns?

 

[ch33zw1z]

Well if you don’t want your kids getting shot the solution is pretty easy, don’t have kids.

What? Did you think the easy solution was to start banning guns?

lol, I guess that’s one way, or maybe put them in the safe for “safe keeping”

 

[MrSquished]

Well people did drive a lot less during the pandemic, I do remember reading that pedestrian and bike fatalities were actually going up, at least in NJ, because people were driving even more like maniacs.

Yep. I looked up the numbers. 2020 and 2021 both increased over years prior, both for cyclist and pedestrian deaths, in New Jersey.

 

[pmv]

Well if you don’t want your kids getting shot the solution is pretty easy, don’t have kids.

What? Did you think the easy solution was to start banning guns?

Guns don't kill people - people kill people. Thus the solution is clear - ban people.
(Trump made a start on that by letting COVID rip).

 

[Xcobra]

Well if you don’t want your kids getting shot the solution is pretty easy, don’t have kids.

What? Did you think the easy solution was to start banning guns?

I mean, it's certainly one of 'thinking of the children' first... Before they're born 🤣... Sigh, conservatism will be the end of us (don't get me wrong, I still dislike extreme liberalism, too)...

 

[Matthewhoward]

Now day its increasing rapidly 🙁

 

[blackangst1]

Im a staunch supporter of gun ownership; however, if you have guns in your house that are accessible to kids, THAT is the problem IMHO. Keep em locked up, but easily accessible. For example, a pistol locked up in a fingerprint lock box next to the bed (even loaded) is fine, IMHO.