Appendix 4 | Understanding and Accepting Risk

Well, it's all relative...

Cause of Death                                Lifetime Odds

Heart Disease                                  1-in-5

Cancer                                             1-in-7

Stroke                                              1-in-23

Accidental Injury                             1-in-36

Motor Vehicle Accident                  1-in-100

Suicide                                            1-in-121

Falling Down                                   1-in-246

Assault by Firearm                          1-in-325

Fire or Smoke                                 1-in-1,116

Natural Forces                                1-in-3,357

Electrocution                                  1-in-5,000

Drowning                                       1-in-8,942

Air Travel Accident                         1-in-20,000

Rebreather Incident                     1-in-25,000

Flood                                              1-in-30,000

Legal Execution                              1-in-58,618

Tornado                                          1-in-60,000

Lightning Strike                              1-in-83,930

Venomous Bite or Sting                 1-in-100,000

Earthquake                                     1-in-131,890

Dog Attack                                     1-in-147,717

Asteroid Impact                              1-in-200,000

Diving Incident                             1 in 211, 864

Tsunami                                          1-in-500,000

Fireworks Discharge                       1-in-615,488

*All figures are for U.S. residents.

**Sources: National Center for Health Statistics, CDC; American Cancer Society; National Safety Council; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; World Health Organization; USGS; SwRI; NASA; Planetary Society Australian Volunteers; Divers Alert Network; Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Journal.