Economist.com’s Daily chart yesterday is an odd mix of the obvious and a few head-scratchers. Is poisoning really a more common cause of death than car accidents? Apparently.
Some causes depend, one supposes, on exposure and vulnerability; the risk of bee stings to the allergic is presumably higher than indicated, and to the rest of us lower. I take showers, mostly, so am relatively immune to drowning in a bathtub. And being the cautious sort, I refuse to wear pajamas.
What are the odds of dying in an accident?
AMERICA is regarded by some as a wild and dangerous place. But violent inner cities and beasts roaming the great outdoors are just some of the potentially fatal situations that the average American faces. The National Safety Council has compiled a list of the odds of perishing in a variety of accidents which makes for sobering reading. Among the perils that could claim a life, poisoning is surprisingly likely. But don’t imagine that bees, flammable nightwear or fireworks are without their (admittedly more remote) dangers too.
