Facts + Statistics: Sports injuries

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Sports injuries

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), in 2022 exercise equipment accounted for an estimated 445,642 injuries, the most in any sports and recreation category.

Sports Injuries By Number Of Injuries, 2022

 

      Number of injuries by age   
Sport, activity or equipment Injuries (1) Younger than 5  5 to 14  15 to 24  25 to 64  65 and older 
Exercise, exercise equipment 445,642 6,662 36,769 91,013 229,640 81,558
Bicycles and accessories 405,411 13,297 91,089 50,863 195,030 55,132
Basketball 313,924 1,216 109,696 143,773 57,413 1,825
Football 265,747 581 145,499 100,760 18,527 381
ATV's, mopeds, minibikes, etc. 242,347 3,688 42,069 61,065 122,941 12,584
Skateboards, scooters, hoverboards 230,506 8,513 64,439 61,546 88,328 7,680
Playground equipment 208,257 53,585 136,267 6,978 9,740 1,687
Swimming, pools, equipment 187,465 21,893 80,356 28,091 43,604 13,521
Soccer 179,284 1,313 80,540 68,602 27,997 832
Baseball, softball 136,874 2,560 61,336 39,981 29,232 3,765
Trampolines 123,014 32,186 70,400 10,805 9,366 257
Skating (excl. In-line) 76,505 356 31,816 14,117 28,278 1,938
Lacrosse, rugby, misc. ball games 66,882 455 20,252 20,142 15,334 10,699
Snowskiing, snowboarding 66,633 173 12,493 24,298 26,267 3,402
Golf 60,897 1,729 9,166 5,080 21,108 23,815
Fishing 57,257 1,204 10,711 8,169 27,733 9,439
Volleyball 50,643 82 16,923 25,461 7,151 1,027
Horseback 46,577 644 8,462 10,003 22,958 4,511
Hockey 37,893 186 10,967 16,469 9,494 778
Martial arts 30,113 22 9,288 8,336 11,969 496
Beach, picnic, camping equipment 25,935 2,144 3,900 2,624 11,868 5,399
Track and field activities, equipment 22,591 78 9,504 9,413 3,180 416
Racquet sports 21,730 196 2,901 3,627 7,384 7,621
Water skiing, tubing, surfing 21,180 81 2,792 6,207 10,969 1,131
Boxing 17,445 63 2,017 8,545 6,784 36
Toboggans, sleds, snow discs, etc. 14,040 1,436 6,136 2,635 3,261 572
Nonpowder guns, BB'S, pellets 11,603 519 3,286 3,443 3,869 487

(1) Treated in hospital emergency departments.

Source: National Safety Council analysis of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission NEISS data. National Safety Council. Injury Facts®.

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Bicycle crashes

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), 966 pedal cyclists were killed in 2021, a 1.9 percent increase from 2020. In 36 percent of all fatal crashes with pedal cyclists in 2021, alcohol was involved—either via the motor vehicle driver or the cyclist. That same year, 85 percent of fatal pedal cyclist crashes happened in urban areas.

Total Motor Vehicle and Pedalcyclist Fatalities, 2012-2021 (1)

 

  Fatalities  
Year Total Pedalcyclist Pedalcyclists as a
percent of
total fatalities
2012 33,782 734 2.2%
2013 32,893 749 2.3
2014 32,744 729 2.2
2015 35,484 829 2.3
2016 37,806 853 2.3
2017 37,473 806 2.2
2018 36,835 871 2.4
2019 36,355 859 2.4
2020 39,007 948 2.4
2021 42,939 966 2.2

(1) Pedalcyclists are defined by the National Highway Safety Administration as bicyclists and othe cyclists including riders of two-wheeled, nonmotorized vehicles, tricycles and unicycles.

Source: National Highway Traffic Administration.

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Pedalcyclists Killed And Fatality Rates By Age, 2021 (1)

 

Age group Killed Population (000) Fatality rate
per million population
Under 5 4 18,827,338 0.02
5 to 9 9 20,291,548 0.04
10 to 14 25 21,447,784 0.12
Children (14 and under) 38 60,566,670 0.06
15 to 20 50 25,911,345 0.19
21 to 24 32 17,177,318 0.19
25 to 29 53 22,392,477 0.24
30 to 34 48 23,102,628 0.21
35 to 39 69 22,299,318 0.31
40 to 44 74 21,104,536 0.35
45 to 49 55 19,781,510 0.28
50 to 54 83 20,906,926 0.40
55 to 59 127 21,567,314 0.59
60-64 127 21,235,750 0.60
65-69 72 18,394,320 0.39
70 to 74 49 15,271,802 0.32
75 to 79 48 9,904,769 0.48
80 and over 23 12,277,062 0.19
Seniors (65 and over) 192 55,847,953 0.34
Total (2) 966 331,893,745 0.29

(1) Pedalcyclists are defined by the National Highway Safety Administration as bicyclists and othe cyclists including riders of two-wheeled, nonmotorized vehicles, tricycles and unicycles.
(2) Includes pedalcyclists of unknown age.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Bureau of the Census.

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Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Fatalities, Pedalcyclist Fatalities, And Fatality Rates By State, 2021 (1)

 

    Pedalcyclists 
 State  Resident population
(000)		 Total traffic
fatalities 		  Fatalities  Percent of total
traffic fatalities		 Fatalities  
100,000 population
Alabama  5,040 983 7 0.70% 0.14%
Alaska  733 67 2 3.00 0.27
Arizona  7,276 1,180 45 3.80 0.62
Arkansas  3,026 693 10 1.40 0.33
California  39,238 4,285 125 2.90 0.32
Colorado  5,812 691 15 2.20 0.26
Connecticut  3,606 298 3 1.00 0.08
Delaware  1,003 136 2 1.50 0.20
District of Columbia  670 41 3 7.30 0.45
Florida  21,781 3,738 197 5.30 0.90
Georgia  10,800 1,797 15 0.80 0.14
Hawaii  1,442 94 4 4.30 0.28
Idaho  1,901 271 3 1.10 0.16
Illinois  12,671 1,334 34 2.50 0.27
Indiana  6,806 932 21 2.30 0.31
Iowa  3,193 356 11 3.10 0.34
Kansas  2,935 424 4 0.90 0.14
Kentucky  4,509 806 10 1.20 0.22
Louisiana  4,624 972 34 3.50 0.74
Maine  1,372 153 2 1.30 0.15
Maryland  6,165 561 6 1.10 0.10
Massachusetts  6,985 417 5 1.20% 0.07
Michigan  10,051 1,136 29 2.60 0.29
Minnesota  5,707 488 9 1.80 0.16
Mississippi  2,950 772 16 2.10 0.54
Missouri  6,168 1,016 7 0.70 0.11
Montana  1,104 239 3 1.30 0.27
Nebraska  1,964 221 1 0.50 0.05
Nevada  3,144 385 6 1.60 0.19
New Hampshire  1,389 118 2 1.70% 0.14
New Jersey  9,267 699 23 3.30 0.25
New Mexico  2,116 481 6 1.20 0.28
New York  19,836 1,157 33 2.90 0.17
North Carolina  10,551 1,663 23 1.40 0.22
North Dakota  775 101 1 1.00 0.13
Ohio  11,780 1,354 30 2.20 0.25
Oklahoma  3,987 762 12 1.60 0.30
Oregon  4,246 599 18 3.00 0.42
Pennsylvania  12,964 1,230 21 1.70 0.16
Rhode Island  1,096 63 2 3.20 0.18
South Carolina  5,191 1,198 23 1.90 0.44
South Dakota  895 148 0 (2) (3)
Tennessee  6,975 1,327 7 0.50 0.1
Texas  29,528 4,498 91 2.00 0.31
Utah  3,338 328 6 1.80 0.18
Vermont  646 74 0 (2) (3)
Virginia  8,642 973 16 1.60 0.19
Washington  7,739 670 14 2.10 0.18
West Virginia  1,783 280 0 (2) (3)
Wisconsin  5,896 620 9 1.50 0.15
Wyoming  579 110 0 (2) (3)
U.S. Total  331,894 42,939 966 2.20% 0.29%

(1) Bicyclists are defined by the National Highway Safety Administration as pedalcyclists, which are bicyclists and othe cyclists including riders of two-wheeled, nonmotorized vehicles, tricycles and unicycles.
(2) Less than 0.1 percent.
(3) Less than 0.01 per 100,000 population.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, National Highway Safety Administration.

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Total Traffic Fatalities And Pedalcyclist Traffic Fatalities And Fatality Rates By City, 2021 (1)

 

      Pedalcyclists Fatality rate per 100,000 population
City (2) Resident
population		 Total traffic
fatalities		 Fatalities As a percent of
total traffic
fatalities		 Total Pedalcyclist Pedalcyclist
rank (3)
New York, NY 8,467,513 252 8 3.20% 2.98 0.09 25
Los Angeles, CA 3,849,297 332 12 3.60 8.62 0.31 16
Chicago, IL 2,696,555 233 11 4.70 8.64 0.41 12
Houston, TX 2,288,250 337 12 3.60 14.73 0.52 7
Phoenix, AZ 1,624,569 291 10 3.40 17.91 0.62 4
Philadelphia, PA 1,576,251 133 7 5.30 8.44 0.44 11
San Antonio, TX 1,451,853 200 6 3.00 13.78 0.41 12
San Diego, CA 1,381,611 118 5 4.20 8.54 0.36 14
Dallas, TX 1,288,457 228 3 1.30 17.7 0.23 18
San Jose, CA 983,489 76 5 6.60 7.73 0.51 8
Austin, TX 964,177 118 4 3.40 12.24 0.41 12
Jacksonville, FL 954,614 180 6 3.30 18.86 0.63 3
Fort Worth, TX 935,508 128 2 1.60 13.68 0.21 19
Columbus, OH 906,528 97 3 3.10 10.7 0.33 15
Indianapolis, IN 882,039 144 6 4.20 16.33 0.68 2
Charlotte, NC 879,709 109 2 1.80 12.39 0.23 18
San Francisco, CA 815,201 31 0 (4) 3.8 (5) 26
Seattle, WA 733,919 45 3 6.70 6.13 0.41 12
Denver, CO 711,463 68 1 1.50 9.56 0.14 24
Oklahoma City, OK 687,725 100 2 2.00 14.54 0.29 17
Nashville, TN 678,851 118 0 (4) 17.38 (5) 26
El Paso, TX 678,415 82 0 (4) 12.09 (5) 26
Washington, DC 670,050 41 3 7.30 6.12 0.45 10
Boston, MA 654,776 32 0 (4) 4.89 (5) 26
Las Vegas, NV 646,790 34 0 (4) 5.26 (5) 26
Portland, OR 641,162 63 0 (4) 9.83 (5) 26
Detroit, MI 632,464 150 1 0.70 23.72 0.16 23
Louisville, KY 628,594 106 3 2.80 16.86 0.48 9
Memphis, TN 628,127 238 3 1.30 37.89 0.48 9
Baltimore, MD 576,498 48 1 2.10 8.33 0.17 22
Milwaukee, WI 569,330 71 1 1.40 12.47 0.18 21
Albuquerque, NM 562,599 133 3 2.30 23.64 0.53 6
Fresno, CA 544,510 81 3 3.70 14.88 0.55 5
Tucson, AZ 543,242 114 7 6.10 20.99 1.29 1
Sacramento, CA 525,041 70 1 1.40 13.33 0.19 20
Mesa, AZ 509,475 56 2 3.60 10.99 0.39 13
Kansas City, MO 508,394 81 0 (4) 15.93 (5) 26

(1) Ranked by city population. Pedalcyclists are defined by the National Highway Safety Administration as bicyclists and other cyclists including riders of two-wheeled, nonmotorized vehicles, tricycles and unicycles.
(2) Population of 500,000 or more.
(3) Cities with the same pedalcyclist fatality rate per million population receive the same rank.
(4) Less than 0.1 percent.
(5) Less than 0.01 per 100,000 population.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; U.S. Census Bureau.

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Watercraft accidents

In 2022, the number of recreational watercraft accidents and fatalities decreased from 2021. Florida, California, and Texas remain the top three states for recreational watercraft accidents and deaths, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. 

Recreational Watercraft Accidents, 2018-2022 (1)

 

  Accidents Fatalities    
Year Total Involving
alcohol
use (2)		 Total Involving
alcohol
use (2)		 Injuries Property
damage
($ millions)
2018 4,145 309 633 119 2,511 $46
2019 4,168 330 613 128 2,559 55
2020 5,265 353 767 130 3,191 63
2021 4,439 330 658 110 2,641 68
2022 4,040 270 636 108 2,222 63

(1) Includes accidents involving $2,000 or more in property damage. Includes U.S. territories and offshore accidents.
(2) The use of alcohol by a boat's occupants was a direct or indirect cause of the accident.

Source: U.S. Department Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard.

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OHV accidents

Children under the age of 16 accounted for 29 percent of all people injured in accidents involving off-highway vehicles (OHVs) in 2021, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

OHV-Related Deaths And Injuries, 2017-2021 (1)

 

  Estimated number of deaths Estimated number of injuries (2)
    Younger than 16   Younger than 16
Year Total Number Percent
of total		 Total Number Percent
of total
2017 749 115 15% 108,100 28,400 26%
2018 682 73 10 95,000 24,900 26
2019 747 95 13 96,000 25,800 27
2020 NA NA NA 112,300 30,500 27
2021 NA NA NA 106,600 30,500 29

(1) Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) including All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV); Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROV); and Utility-Terrain Vehicles (UTV)
(2) Emergency room-treated.

NA=Data not available.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

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