Domestic accidents: their cause and prevention

The study of domestic accidents, which includes accidents in and around the home and in institutions, is of increasing importance. The mortality statistics are shown in Table 1. In 1974, 18,335 people died from accidents in the UK (RoSPA, 1974) equivalent to the population of a reasonably sized town. Accidents form one of the four main causes of death in this country and have become relatively more common in recent years. Analysis of the causes of home accidents make it possible to plan ways of preventing them. General practitioners and their colleagues in the primary health care team have the principal responsibility.