Swimming Pools Six Times as Deadly for Kids as Guns

Gun Watch ^ | 10 January, 2013 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

In the last few years the number of fatal firearm accidents has been at record lows.   In 2010 it was 606, in 2011 it was 600 (preliminary).      These numbers had been falling for a long time, then leveled off at about the 600 figure in 2005.   Of those about 10% are children ages 14 and under.  That number in 2010 was 62.

To put these numbers in perspective, the number of children who drown in swimming pools and hot tubs per year is about 383 from (2006 to 2008).    From a safety perspective, swimming pools and hot tubs are far more dangerous to children then guns are, by over a six to one margin.    This does not take into account that there are 30 times as many guns (about 310 million) in the United States as there are swimming pools (10 million).   I do not know how many spas or hot tubs there are.  

When children die in a gun accident, it becomes national news.  Partly this is because it is so rare; partly it is because it fits the media template to portray guns as a threat to children.   I have never seen a comparison in the old media of how many children die from swimming pool accidents compared to how man die from gun accidents.  (Perhaps this is because many reporters have swimming pools, but that is pure speculation.)  

One thing is crystal clear from the above data; in terms of accidental deaths, having a swimming pool is many times more hazardous to children than having a gun.

This is not hard to understand.  Guns are easily controlled by an adult, who can keep them about her person, lock them up, unload them, and teach children about them.    Swimming pools are much more difficult to control, lock up, cannot be carried on the person, and cannot be drained anywhere as easily as a gun can be unloaded.

©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

I was shocked when I found these figures. The accidents in swimming pools is only a fraction of total drownings, but it serves as a good comparison as to the level of risk that we easily accept when it is not hyped by the MSM for political purposes.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Hate to say it, but the firearm accident rate has gone down steadily. Which could mean that regulation DOES reduce problems with guns.

Watch what you celebrate.

[NormsRevenge]

Wifey always wanted to fill in the pool, I said , Cool , let’s put in a putting green.. , it’s seen a lot more use in its day but.. There’s always another generation of babies in the chute to toss in.. Now if I could just convince the poodles its safe.

Sink or swim happens.. like firearms, pools and their use require early training and able supervision.

SAFETY FIRST!

[marktwain]

There are several reasons for the reduction in fatal firearms accidents. I do not think that regulation is one of them.

First, much better firearms training about safety.

Second, better firearms from manufacturers. Partly because of liability issues, it is almost impossible to buy a new firearms that will go off when it is dropped.

Third, the switch from keeping loaded rifles and shotguns for defense of the home to handguns. Handguns are much less deadly than rifles or shotguns.

Fourth, better medical treatment. Gunshots that would have been deadly in 1920 are much more treatable today. We can include better emergency service with this one. People get trained care much faster.

Fifth, the constant push for more infringements on the second amendment by overstating the danger of guns has made many people hyper vigilant, which has likely reduced accidents.

[Zeneta]

That’s so funny.

Same thing happened to me and my wife when my daughter was born.

Thankfully my daughter didn’t inherit her mothers fear, and was all to happy to jump in when her mother was looking the other way.

[Veggie Todd]

Instead of doctors asking people if they have guns at home, they should be asking about pools.

[smokingfrog]

** Instead of doctors asking people if they have guns at home, they should be asking about pools. **

And big screen TVs.

http://theweek.com/article/index/237878/the-shocking-number-of-deaths-caused-by-falling-tvs

[marktwain]

Doctors can hand out all the safety information they want. Now that they are required to put data into a database that the federal government can gain access to, I would rather they not expect you to answer any questions on anything other than your physical condition.

[Zeneta]

Everything is or can be deemed dangerous.

I was a former pool owner and I also designed, sold and built custom in-ground gunite pools.

The liability insurance for building a “Diving Pool” is insane. The diving board manufactures had to make their boards with virtually NO FLEX in them and if you installed a diving board, you may be held liable. None of this makes any sense, since diving into a pool that is 10’ deep is safer than diving into one that is 5’ deep.

There are of course minimum requirements regarding the slope etc.

People will always figure out a way to do something really stupid and dangerous.

It’s our legal system that wants to hold the stupidity of individuals harmless.

BTW, building residential in-ground pools has got to be one of the worst jobs anybody can do.

[marktwain]

You are absolutely correct. It is insanity to think that everyone must be kept safe from everything.

Life could well be defined as risk. The only time you are not at risk is when you are dead. (some would question that)

[gundog]

Why not compromise?

[DugwayDuke]

This numbers are meaningless to a committed gun banner. If you mention them to a gun banner, he will counter that swimming pools have a useful social purpose which offsets the dangers. But guns do not. IOW, you need a pool but you don’t need a gun.

BTW, if you think the numbers on pools are bad compared to guns, look up the numbers on how many children drown in plastic buckets. Compare those numbers to how many children are killed by guns. (But be careful with which numbers you use. Gun banners like to include drug trafficing gang members under the age of 24 as children.)

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

We need common-sense swimming pool regulations. Nobody needs a high-capacity pool to enjoy their summer.

[sickoflibs]

Keep kids out of the hot tubs if you want the water to stay clean for a while.

That warm water affects them...

[Zeneta]

If you remember when cars didn’t have any airbags.

When they were introduced, it set a safety standard, that became a liability for auto manufactures if they didn’t have, not only airbags but enough airbags.

We went from “Steering wheel”, “Dashboard”, “Side impact” and found that the foot and ankle injuries needed to be addressed.

Lawyers have forced manufactures into this.

There was a comedian a number of years ago that suggested that if they really wanted to reduce auto accidents etc. They should remove the seat belts and install a spike in the center of the steering wheel.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Actually, diving board are simply short and stumpy. Nothing but a mere platform over the water.

My parents still have the full size flexible board. God willing I may have that someday. Mopey sister’s, built 30 years later is the hard stub.

[caver]

We bought a house about 10 years ago that has a pool. The insurance guy asks whether it has a slide? It does and a diving board. He said “take the slide out”. He says most insurance claims are because of kids falling off slides. We didn’t, but had to get another insurance company. I hate the damn pool and have to be an ahole(which comes easily) when the grandkids come over.

A pool is supposed to be fun, but if you have one, you soon realize a lot of potential problems.

[Zeneta]

My pool was built sometime in the late 1980’s and I had a board that was extremely flexible.

You can’t buy a flexible board like that today.

A lot of folks I sold and built pools for, went with “diving rocks” since the classic diving board didn’t fit with the natural setting they wanted to re-create.

I was just reminiscing my pool building days with google earth.

WOW !!!

I can zoom into virtually ever pool I sold/designed or built and they all have a story.

The $110,000 pool that didn’t include the rock water feature or the decking.

The classic 20’ by 40’ rectangle that cost the homeowner more than twice the contract price as we hit an underground aquifer. Insane.

The rocks, the fill and managing the homeowners expectations.

[marktwain]

“BTW, if you think the numbers on pools are bad compared to guns, look up the numbers on how many children drown in plastic buckets.”

If you look at children under the age of five, there are probably a few more that die in 5 gallon bucket accidents than die in gun accidents. Both are very low numbers, down in the teens or single digits each year. Hard to quantify the bucket numbers, because they are not tracked as rigorously as the gun numbers.