Table 1: Risks 1996 in the US and Colorado
-- Activities that lead to Accidental Death (1)

Activity in both the US and Colorado Fatalities in 1996 Number of Participants Annual Risk (2)(annual deaths per million) Estimated Duration of Risk (3) Lifetime Risk (deaths in the lifetime of a million persons)
Home Accidents
-from falls		 CO
251
 3,820,000 66 per million Coloradans 70 yr 4600 deaths per million Coloradans
US
8,200
 268,500,000 31 per million Americans 70 yr 2200 deaths per million Americans
-from fires or burns CO
17
 3,820,000 4.4 per million Coloradans 70 yr 310 deaths per million Coloradans
US
2,900
 268,500,000 11 per million Americans 70 yr 770 deaths per million Americans
-from poisoning CO
130
 3,820,000 34 per million Coloradans 70 yr 2400 deaths per million Coloradans
US
7,800
 268,500,000 29 per million Americans 70 yr 2000 deaths per million Americans
Driving a car
-by driver (4) 		CO
668
 2,844,084 230 per million Colorado drivers 50 yr 12,000 deaths per million Colorado drivers
US
43,300
 177,800,000 240 per million American drivers 50 yr 12,000 deaths per million American drivers
-by population CO
668
 3,820,000 170 per million Coloradans 50 yr 8500 deaths per million Coloradans
US
43,300
 268,500,000 160 per million Americans 50 yr 8000 deaths per million Americans
Pedestrian CO
80
 3,820,000 21 per million Coloradans 70 yr 1500 deaths per million Coloradans
US
6,100
 268,500,000 23 per million Americans 70 yr 1600 deaths per million Americans
Motorcycling
-by registered bike (4) 		CO
22
 94,639 230 per million Colorado motorcycles 10 yr 2300 deaths per million motorcycles
US
2,300
 3,800,000 610 per million American motorcycles 10 yr 6100 deaths per million motorcycle
Lightning CO
4
 3,820,000 1 per million Coloradans 70 yr 70 deaths per million Coloradans
US
90
 268,500,000 0.3 per million Americans 70 yr 21 deaths per million Americans
Tornado US
88
 268,500,000 0.3 per million Americans 70 yr 21 deaths per million Americans
Ski Accidents (5) CO
18
 11,800,000 skier- visits 1.5 per million skier visits 50 yr 8 deaths per million skier-visits
US
36
 52,500,000 skier- visits 0.7 per million skier-visits 50 yr 35 deaths per million skier-visits
  1. Source of US data is National Safety Council, Accident Facts, 1997 Edition. Itasca, IL. Source of Colorado Data is "Table D22. Deaths from Selected Injury Causes: Colorado Occurrences, 1993 to 1996," Health Statistics Section, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. National deaths from lightning and tornado are averages from 40 years of data.
  2. Annual risk is the number of deaths divided by the number of participants.
  3. It is assumed that an average person lives 70 years. Some risks, like the risk of dying from an accident in the home, will be faced over an entire lifetime, while other risks are only applicable for a shorter period of time, like driving a car. It is assumed that person will ride a motorcycle for only 10 years.
  4. Colorado Department of Revenue. (303)205-5758.
  5. Number of skier visits from Colorado Ski Country USA (www.skicolorado.org) and the National Ski Areas Association. A skier visit is one skier skiing one day.

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