A recent article in leading bizpolecon publication The Eucumenicalist has caused a stir by suggesting that auto industry safety innovations could soon result in guns overtaking cars as the leading cause of death among the demographic segment so memorably identified by Dr David Bowie of Berklee College, Boston as ‘Young Americans’.
Road deaths Stateside have dropped by an alarming 24% since 2004, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to the point where ‘just’ 32,719 people were killed in road accidents in 2013, a figure that will drop to zero once everyone drives a GoogleMobile and they’ve ironed out the whole ‘hacking by GTA fans’ problem.
With gun deaths riding high at 32,351 in 2011 (the last time anyone could face adding them all up), it looks like a mere 500 odd fatal shootings (or a few more airbag deployments) should suffice to tip the balance and establish guns as the number one peace time threat to US citizens. Swimming pools, before you ask, kill fewer than two thousand, even in a good year.
Bullets are less of a worry over on this side of the Atlantic – although we do have exploding Teasmades, scone-induced asphyxia, and Polonium-laced Lady Grey to fret about here. All of which are significantly less of a threat in the US.
Suge Knight: a foot (allegedly) in both camps
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