Indicator: 8 - Unintentional Injurie

Why This Is Important

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for Maine residents below the age of 35. They are caused by motor vehicle accidents, fire/burns, falls, drowning, poisoning, and firearms. Maine’s youngest people are not safe when they suffer the consequences of preventable unintentional injuries. Injuries account for about 30% of the loss of productive life for people under 65 years old. This exceeds the losses of productive life from heart disease, cancer and stroke combined.

Where We Stand

The unintentional injury death rate (five-year floating average) for Maine children and youth aged 0-19 for 1995 to 1999 was 14.5/100,000, roughly the same as the floating average for 1994-1998. This rate decreased from the 1988-1992 average, with this drop attributable to a decline in fire deaths and motor vehicle deaths.

Data Sources and Context

This data is compiled and reported by the Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics, Bureau of Health, Maine Department of Human Services. The source of the data is the Maine mortality data files.