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ACCIDENTS
Deaths due to accidents are not numerically the most important, but they are very important
as a cause of premature death, particularly in males. This is shown particularly clearly in
Table IX. It will be seen from this table, that males lost more years of working life from death
by accidents than from any other cause. Accidents were a less important cause of death in women,
but still rank fourth in order of importance.
The excessive loss of life in men and boys is mainly due to road accidents. Table V shows
that in Edmonton there were 17 deaths by accident in men and boys; 15 in women and girls. Over
a half of the male deaths were due to road accidents, but only one fifth of the female deaths
occurred on the roads. Three out of the four under the age of 35 killed on the roads were males.
Road accidents are, to some extent, an engineering problem Sounder and safer vehicles, better
lighting, and better roads would undoubtedly reduce the toll of deaths The main causes of road
accidents, however, are carelessness and selfishness Road Safety education in schools is,
therefore, particularly important and were it not for the good work done by education in the
past, the number of road deaths in Edmonton would probably be greater.
About two-thirds of the deaths from other accidents are due to accidents in the home
Here again, death occurs, quite often, fairly early in life. Home accidents are occasionally
due to bad building, but most are again due to carelessness or selfishness A badly designed
house, with steep stairs and many dark corners, makes falls and trips easier, but even in these
conditions a careful housewife can avoid accidents Many accidents, however, occur in quite
well-designed houses and are due to such things as the absence of a fireguard, loose carpets,
highly polished floors, overhanging tablecloths, toys or household equipment left on the floor
or stairs.
The toll is considerable. More boys and men under the age of 65 (in England and Wales)
died from home accidents during the month of June 1958 than died from Poliomyelitis during the
whole of 1957. The actual figures are 223 from home accidents during June 1958 and 84 from
Poliomyelitis during 1957, In the same month 206 girls and women under the age of 65 died from
home accidents, compared with 84 deaths from Poliomyelitis during the whole of 1957. In the
winter months the female deaths outnumber the male deaths, due to the greater number of women
and girls who die as a result of their clothing catching fire. The use of flameproof fabrics,
now becoming more generally available and increased use of fixed fireguards should greatly
reduce this risk,
There is no vaccine that can be used against home accidents Each householder can protect
his own family by seeing that the house is safe and sound Fires must be guarded, lights must
be adequate, carpets and rugs fixed firmly in place, floors and stairs kept free from obstructions.
The household steps must be in good condition and over-enthusiastic polishing of floors
must be discouraged. All electrical repairs must be done by a qualified electrician and tin
openers and similar weapons must be of a safe type.
It is over 100 years since Florence Nightingale first drew attention to the dangers in
the home Progress in this field has, to say the least of it, been slow.
A more detailed casualty list follows:-
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