The number of British people dying from unexpected accidents such as accidentally drinking bleach or being crushed by a wardrobe has increased to a record high of more than 20,000 people each year.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) on November 15 warned that Britain was facing an “accident crisis”. Accidental deaths in this country are 42% higher than two decades ago, making them the leading cause of preventable death in people under 40 years old.
Among them, falls are the leading cause, accounting for nearly half of all accidental deaths nationwide. Cases such as accidentally swallowing drugs, cleaning products or cosmetics account for a quarter of cases. Traffic accidents, including cars, bicycles and boats, account for 7% of all deaths. 55% of accidental deaths in 2022 will occur at home.
Accidents causing only injuries have also increased 48% over the past two decades with 740,000 hospitalizations, 50,000 of which are children under 10 years old. Sadly there were 61 deaths.
More than 100 deaths caused by bookshelves or other furniture falling on people were recorded last year. More than 30 other cases of death due to power tools or lawn mowers were also recorded in 2022.
RoSPA listed factors such as poverty and an aging population as potential causes contributing to the increase in the number of people involved in accidents.
Falls are the leading cause of accidental death in the UK. Illustration photo: Pexels
RoSPA calls on the Government to implement a National Accident Prevention Strategy to “save lives, boost the economy and free up capacity in the National Health Service (NHS)”.
“We must act now to prevent further preventable deaths and serious injuries because accidents are avoidable and do not need to happen,” RoSPA CEO , Becky Hickman, said.