What Are My Odds of Dying From...

It might seem a bit morbid, but human nature leads us to contemplate our demise. We sometimes wonder, "What are my odds of dying from..."? Are we more likely to be killed in a car crash or shot to death by an assailant? According to OSHA’s citation criteria, the chance of dying from a fall seems to rate the highest on a workers probably of dying list. However, being inquisitive, we consulted an Odds of Dying chart (shown below) that was put together by the National Safety Council. Keep in mind these odds are statistical averages over the entire U.S. population and do not necessarily reflect the chances of death for a particular person from a particular external cause. Odds of dying are affected by an individual’s activities, occupation, and where he or she lives, works, and drives, among other things.

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In this image surgeons are performing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.
Heart Disease is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.

That being said, if the odds of dying from all possible causes are 1:1, here are the lifetime odds of death for selected causes, from most likely to least:

Cause of Death	Odds of Dying
Heart Disease and Cancer	1:7
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease	1:28
Intentional Self-harm	1:100
Unintentional Poisoning By and Exposure to Noxious Substances	1:109
Motor Vehicle Crash	1:112
Fall	1:144
Assault by Firearm	1:358
Pedestrian Incident	1:704
Motorcycle Rider Incident	1:911
Unintentional Drowning and Submersion	1:1,113
Exposure to Fire, Flames or Smoke	1:1,442
Choking from Inhalation and Ingestion of Food	1:3,375
Pedacyclist Incident	1:4,535
Firearms Discharge	1:6,699
Exposure to Excessive Natural Heat	1:6,745
Cataclysmic Storm	1:6,780
Air and Space Transport Incidents	1:8,015
Exposure to Electric Current, Radiation, Temperature and Pressure	1:12,220
Contact with Sharp Objects	1:37,351
Contact with Hornets, Wasps and Bees	1:55,764
Contact with Heat and Hot Substances	1:59,093
Legal Execution	1:127,717
Being Bitten or Struck by a Dog	1:116,448
Lightning Strike	1:164,968

Source: National Safety Council estimates based on data from National Center for Health Statistics–Mortality Data as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Deaths are classified on the basis of the 10th revision of the World Health Organization’s The International Classification of Diseases (ICD). For additional mortality figures, and estimated one-year and lifetime odds, see Injury Facts® 2015 Edition, pages 40-43.

About The Author: Don Jackson is retired from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Various roles at the EPA included: Hazardous Waste Management, Safety & Health Instructor, Facilities Safety and Health Inspector, ES&H Technical Writer, and Wastewater Equipment Operator as a Senior Environmental Employee. He has been conducting HAZWOPER courses throughout the country for approximately 25 years.

What Are My Odds of Dying From...

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