Deaths from accidents and injuries not inevitable – Commission

A new EU safety plan sets out to do something about the fourth major cause of death in the EU: accidents and injuries. They kill an estimated 235,000 citizens each year. Calling on Member States to work at the European level, Brussels said prevention should be the priority.

It suggests developing an EU Injury Information System, supporting exchange of good practice, and informing people about certain risks and the benefits of safety measures. The risks vary from country to country;

For instance, someone in Lithuania is statistically five times more likely to die from an accident than someone in the Netherlands. Many survivors of severe injuries suffer life-long impairments. The Plan also focuses on sports injuries, self-harm (including suicide), interpersonal violence such as in the home, and vulnerable road users.

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