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The Canadian Institute for Health Information reports that there were 197,002 hospital injury admissions in Canada in 1999/2000. More than half (54%) were caused by falls, followed by motor vehicle collisions (15%). From 1995/1996 to 1999/2000, injury hospitalizations dropped by just over 8%. Data for 1999/2000 show 6,663 people died in-hospital from their injuries - 8% more than five years earlier. Seventy-five per cent of these deaths were precipitated by a fall, while 10.9% were from motor vehicle collisions.
National Trauma Registry - Hospital Injury Admissions Report, 1999/2000, Feb. 27, 2002
http://www.cihi.ca/medrls/27feb2002.shtml

According to an Australian study, the Canadian dog bite fatality rate is higher than both the American and Australian rates. Hospitalization rates for dog bite injuries in Australia were stable between 1987 and 1998, but there was a decline for children under 5 years of age, corresponding with a reduction in dog ownership in that country. The study by the Monash University Accident Research Centre found that children 4 years old and younger had the highest rate of serious dog bite injuries, particularly facial, but adults had longer hospitalizations.
J. Ozanne-Smith, K. Ashby & V. Z. Stathakis, "Dog bite and injury prevention — analysis, critical review, and research agenda." Injury Prevention; 7:321-326, December 2001

A driverless taxicab is being developed in Cardiff, Wales. It is a battery-powered pod that seats up to four passengers and operates on a track. With a maximum speed of 40 km/h, it can pass cars and buses stuck in traffic. Passengers will "hail" the pod from a designated stop and select their destination along a set route. The cost to build the network is estimated at about one-third to one-half of the amount needed for a light railway. A ride would cost about as much as an ordinary bus trip.
Reuters Limited, London, February 25, 2002

Each day, about 2,000 American workers suffer eye injuries on the job, robbing many of them of their sight and costing employers an estimated $4 billion a year. Welding equipment contributed to more than 11,000 eye injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. Power grinders and buffers were second with nearly 10,000 eye injuries. Do-it-yourself renovation and repair have also led to more workplace-like eye injuries at home. Ninety percent of all workplace eye injuries are preventable with the use of proper eyewear and safety measures.
Prevent Blindness American, March 1, 2002

A U.S. study found that people who used tanning devices were 2.5 times more likely to get squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to get basal cell carcinoma than those who did not use the lamps. The danger is higher for those under 30 years of age. Commercial tanning beds are popular among teens — one study of high-school age girls found that over half had used one at least four times in the past year. Tanning devices have also been linked to melanoma, a more deadly form of skin cancer.
National Post, February 6, 2002

The estimated number of global road fatalities for 1999 is between 750,000 and 880,000. Highly motorized countries with 60 percent of all vehicles have only 14 percent of global traffic fatalities. Conversely, Asia/Pacific with only 16 percent of vehicles has about 44 percent of global deaths. The highest fatality rates (deaths per 10,000 vehicles) worldwide occur in Africa, particularly Ethiopia, Uganda and Malawi.
Estimating global road fatalities, G. Jacobs & A. Aeron-Thomas, Global Road Safety Partnership, 2001

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