According to the federal government, the number of people killed in automobile-related deaths annually is approximately three times higher than the number of people killed by all gun-related deaths combined -- handgun, shotgun, and rifle. Yet there is, to my knowledge, no concerted effort to ban automobiles.
In a post on Jan. 3, I pointed out that FBI crime statistics show more people are consistently killed each year with hammers and clubs than with rifles. This information was pertinent because Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is planning to push legislation to ban several classes of rifles as we speak. Here is the link to her legislation.
For this post, I will be adding the number of rifle-related deaths with the number of deaths in which handguns and shotguns were used as well. This is pertinent because Feinstein's legislation includes a ban on many of the most popular handguns in the United States.
I will contrast the total number of gun deaths per year with another number -- the total number of people killed each year in automobile-related deaths.
After all, if the Democrats' real concern is safety, wouldn't you assume they'd like to know what poses the greatest threat to human life?
According to the FBI, the total number of gun deaths for 2005 was 10,158, for 2006 it was 10,225, and for 2007 it was 10,129. These numbers fluctuate a little, dropping from time to time. For example, in 2010 the total number of gun related deaths was 8,775 and in 2011 it was 8,583.
These numbers can seem high. And snatched out of thin air by gun-grabbers, these numbers seem to represent death on an unbelievable scale. But when compared with other types of death -- like car accidents, and/or the reckless and intentionally-fatal uses of an automobile -- the gun death numbers literally pale in comparison
For example, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the total number of deaths related to automobiles in 2009 was 34,485. In other words, more people died via automobiles in 2009 alone than died in gun-related deaths for the years 2005, 2006, and 2007 combined.
Moreover, according to the CDC, more people died from falls in 2009 alone than died in gun-related deaths for the years 2009, 2010, and most of 2011 combined. (Total number of deaths via falls in 2009 was 24,792.)
The bottom line: Driving down the interstate and climbing rocks and ladders is exceedingly dangerous when compared with owning and using handguns, shotguns, and rifles.
Big Government
