Are Guns Safe for Kids?

News stories circulating about the recent rise in gun sales cite National Safety Council data that one percent of unintentional child fatalities are due to incidents involving firearms. Some suggest this data is evidence that guns do not pose a significant risk to children. The NSC does not make this connection. The 1 percent statistic refers only to the 144 children age 19 and under who died in unintentional firearms incidents in 2004. However, this data does not include an additional 2,713 children age 19 and under who died that year in all firearms-related incidents, including suicides and homicides. These victims included 358 children age 14 and under.

The three leading causes of unintentional deaths to children are motor vehicle crashes, drowning and poisoning. While more children die from these causes than from firearms, many more children are involved in related activities, like riding in cars and swimming, than are involved with firearms. It is not accurate to say one activity is safer than another simply because fewer people are injured or die while participating in it.

NSC is involved in public education to address the risks and prevent injuries associated with these three leading causes. However, the NSC is not engaged in firearms safety programs and makes no claim about the safety of firearms, which contributed to the deaths of 2,857 children in 2004.