[perl4ever]

I feel like I've read similar comments on HN about cars and guns over and over. Seems odd to be preoccupied with cars and guns when most people don't die of either. What about chainsaws and bathtubs? Cigarettes, trampolines, etc?

Pneumonia, heart disease, stroke, COPD, pneumonia and lung cancer each kill more than cars in the first world.

In the third world, top causes of death are HIV, pneumonia, heart disease, diarrhea, stroke, malaria, TB, COPD, and measles - cars don't even make the top ten.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rat...

[magduf]

>I feel like I've read similar comments on HN about cars and guns over and over. Seems odd to be preoccupied with cars and guns when most people don't die of either.

Cars are the #1 killer for people less than middle-aged (where age-related diseases take over). 30,000 people a year die in the US alone from cars, and it's even worse in other countries.

>Pneumonia, heart disease, stroke, COPD, pneumonia and lung cancer each kill more than cars in the first world.

Only for old people. For young people, the ones who really matter more for the future of society and the economy, cars are easily the #1 killer.

Here's a source: https://www.everydayhealth.com/kids-health/car-crashes-the-n...

Guns are probably the #2 killer of children.

[perl4ever]

I agree that cars and guns are common causes of mortality among groups that already have low overall mortality.

It occurred to me to look up statistics adjusted by years of life lost, which gives more weight to younger victims and seems to favor your agenda.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Years_of_potential_life_lost

"While the most common cause of death of young people aged 5 to 40 is injury and poisoning in the developed world, because relatively few young people die, the principal causes of lost years remain cardiovascular disease and cancer.[4]"

[Regarding Australia:] "When disability adjusted life years are considered, cancer (25.1/1,000), cardiovascular disease (23.8/1,000), mental health issues (17.6/1,000), neurological disorders (15.7/1,000), chronic respiratory disease (9.4/1,000) and diabetes (7.2/1,000) are the main causes of good years of expected life lost to disease or premature death.[7]"