The United States is currently enduring the twin crises of gun violence and roadway safety. These matters are compounded, affecting our children and adolescents the worst. The momentum created by this ongoing dialogue is key. Yet even campaigns like “Make America Healthy Again” miss the boat on a number of urgent issues. The consequences to our nation are rising gun-related deaths and injuries among youth at an alarming rate. These shocking numbers create an unacceptable reality that we cannot ignore.
That is because in 2019, the gun homicide rate in America was close to 100 times that in Britain. This astonishing number speaks volumes to the difference in gun violence between the two countries. It has gotten even worse, as gun-related deaths among children and teenagers surged by 50% from 2019 to 2021. This alarming trend led to firearms overtaking car crashes as the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in 2020.
When we stack the United States against our neighbor to the north, Canada, the inequities are staggering. When you account for population, the U.S. loses nearly seven times as many people to gun homicides as Canada. It experiences roughly double the gun-related suicides. Getting shot at school has now become one of the top causes of death for children in America. This alarming trend signals a growing crisis and the urgent need for sweeping reforms.
Road traffic accidents are a serious hazard, taking 43,000 lives in 2021 all by itself. We can’t overlook the increasing tide of gun violence, which cries out for our urgency. Japan is an outlier, with almost no one dying by gun violence each year. Moreover, the country only has 3,000 road crash deaths. Size of the vehicle really matters. Overall size and weight of the vehicles makes a huge difference on these stats. Just to give a flavor of that extreme oversize, the US’ most popular vehicle is a 2,900 kg, 5.8 m long pickup truck. By contrast, Japan’s best selling motor vehicle is a Kei car. This much lighter vehicle is only 1,100 kg and only 3.3 meters long.
By the start of 2024, the U.S. has averaged nearly two mass shootings a day over the last few years. That continuing trend adds significantly to the burden of disability and death caused by gun violence among American youth. Whether due to stigma or politics, health initiatives have not prioritized having conversations about firearms. This blind spot is dangerous, as firearms are the second leading cause of death for this demographic.
Public health movements should focus on the well-being of all people. When they do, they invariably fail to consider firearms, which are the second largest driver of childhood mortality. They target prevention of obesity, mental health promotion, and other emerging health priorities. All the while, they look away from the more pressing issue of gun safety.
Alongside gun violence, road safety deserves our focus. The U.S. has a very difficult time reducing rates of road traffic crashes that kill over 38,000 people a year. The stark contrast with Japan’s low traffic death rate shows what’s possible with better traffic safety measures in place.