Death is nothing new in our society. Thousands of people die daily, all over the world. But with the introduction of new technology and new diseases, people are dying in ways never before seen.
But what percentage of people die from old age? How many die in freak accidents? What diseases take the most lives? Below are some of the statistics for some common and not so common ways to die. Learn what your chances are for surviving an earthquake, a car accident or even a bee sting.
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Statistics are provided by the National Safety Council© Injury Facts© 2011. These are lifetime odds of death for selected causes. For a full list of statistics on common causes of death, please visit the National Safety Council.
Heart disease: 1 in 6
Cancer: 1 in 7
Stroke: 1 in 28
Accidental poisoning by toxic substances: 1 in 130
Falls: 1 in 171
Car accident: 1 in 303
Assault by firearms: 1 in 306
Motorcycle accident: 1 in 770
Accidental drowning: 1 in 1,123
Exposure to smoke/fire: 1 in 1,177
Cycling: 1 in 4,717
Firearms discharge: 1 in 6,309
Air and space transport accidents: 1 in 7,032
Exposure to electric current, radiation, temperature or pressure: 1 in 9,943
Exposure to excessive natural heat: 1 in 12,517
Cataclysmic storm: 1 in 46,044
Contact with hornets, wasps and bees: 1 in 71,623
Lightning: 1 in 84,079
Bitten/attacked by dog: 1 in 120,864
Earthquake: 1 in 148,756
Flood: 1 in 175,803
Fireworks discharge: 1 in 386,766
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