What are the Odds?

Despite all the media attention to shootings, terrorist attacks, airplane accidents, tsunamis and the like, none of you is ever likely to die from any of these dramatic events.

You will; however, die from something and it will probably be something you could have avoided like heart disease, cancer, stroke or a driving fatality.

Inspect the odds below that are gleaned from actuarial reports at the National Safety Council to get an idea of what I mean.

Lifetime odds of death,United States,2008

Total, any cause  1 in  1
Heart disease 1 in 6
Cancer 1 in 7
Stroke 1 in 29
Motor-vehicle incidents 1 in 9
Intentional self-harm 1 in 109
Unintentional poisoning 1 in 126
Falls 1 in 163
Assault by firearm 1 in 321
Car occupant 1 in 368
Pedestrian 1 in 701
Motorcycle-rider 1 in 761
Accidental drowning 1 in 1,103
Exposure to smoke 1 in 1,344
Pedal-cyclist 1 in 4,381
Firearms 1 in 6,609
Air incidents 1 in 7,178
Electric current, radiation 1 in 12,420
Excessive natural heat 1 in 13,217
Storm 1 in 29,196
Hornets, wasps, and bees 1 in 79,842
Earthquake 1 in 97,807
Lightning 1 in 134,906
Bitten by dog 1 in 144,899
Flood 1 in 558,896
Fireworks 1 in 652,046