Report Shows 48% Decline In 10 Years A new report from the National Safety Council shows that accidental firearm-related fatalities remained at record lows in 2004. Statistics in the council’s “Injury Facts 2005-2006” show a 48 percent decrease over a 10-year period ending in 2004. The council’s most recent data show 106,742 U.S. residents died in accidents of all types. Less than 1 percent involved firearms. The most common deadly accidents involved motor vehicles, poisonings and falls, claiming 74 percent of all accidental deaths. “Increased awareness of gun safety and responsible firearms storage have undeniably played a huge part in keeping these numbers at their lowest levels ever,” said Doug Painter, NSSF president. Other new findings from the National Safety Council include: accidental firearm-related fatalities among children ages 14 and under declined 17 percent when compared to the previous year; there were 700 accidental firearm-related fatalities in 2004, the same number as the previous year; and accidental firearm-related fatalities continue to have the largest percentage decrease of all measured types of accidental fatalities. Click here for more on the council’s report.