Death In America Comes On Wheels Deadly Car Wrecks On The Rise, Gun Deaths Decline, Study Finds

Americans were less likely to be killed with guns but more likely to die in car crashes, according to a government report that documents reversals in two long-standing trends.

More children and young adults die from injuries than from disease.

Most were killed in motor vehicle accidents, with firearm deaths close behind, according to data from 1995 released Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The annual report also contains a wealth of information about American health in general:

Life expectancy at birth edged up to 75.8 years, up from 75.7.

People with HIV spent less time in the hospital as new drugs improved their health.

One-fourth of American adults smoke cigarettes, with college graduates significantly less likely to smoke than others.

17 percent of Americans under age 65 had no health insurance, including 32 percent of Hispanics.

But the report focused on injuries.

After a steady march upward, firearm deaths peaked in 1993 at 15.6 deaths for every 100,000 people, a 22 percent increase over 1985.

But they fell in 1994 and again in 1995 as the number of homicides dropped dramatically. Suicides and unintentional gun deaths fell slightly, too.

A variety of explanations have been offered for the drop in homicides, including tougher laws, the growth of community policing, demographic changes and shifting cultural attitudes about violence.

“It’s striking that homicide rates started to decrease in many different cities starting in 1993 all around the country,” said Mark Rosenberg, who directs the injury center at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“In some of these major cities the police targeted their efforts at kids and guns. In other cities they had programs targeted at gangs.”

Meanwhile, motor vehicle traffic deaths ticked up after a steady decline. In 1992, 15.4 of every 100,000 Americans died in car accidents, down from 18.4 in 1985. But that number edged up in each of the next three years.

Statistics released last week by the Transportation Department indicate the trend continuing, with deaths again up slightly in 1996.

The cause is not certain, but one culprit - alcohol - can be ruled out. The number of deaths involving alcohol dropped 32 percent over the last 10 years.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration blames reckless driving. The agency told Congress last week that two-thirds of the deaths are related to aggressive drivers weaving through traffic, tailgating and causing havoc on the road.