Injury and Violence Prevention

Missouri Injury Facts

• Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among ages 1-44, with 1,755 deaths occurring in Missouri in 2023. More years of potential life were lost due to injury than to any other cause of death.
• Motor Vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among ages 20-24. In 2022, 1,057 people were killed in Missouri traffic crashes, with 206 of those ages 1-24, and an additional 14,316 were injured (all injury levels). https://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/
  SAC/pdf/2024E.pdf
• Accidental Drowning was the leading cause of death among ages 0-4 in 2023, with motor vehicle accidents following closely behind as the second leading cause for this age group.
• Falls are the leading cause of death related to unintentional injury among ages 65 and older. In 2022, Missouri deaths from falls for ages 65 and older were higher than the national average 71.2 vs. 70.8 per 100,000 population.
• Suicide is the 9th leading cause of death. More Missourians die by suicide than by driving while intoxicated (DWI), homicide or AIDS.