July 5 is National Injury Prevention Day in Canada

Summer calls to us in Haldimand County like no other season.

That’s because we know summer is fleeting, an opportunity intended to be embraced to the fullest.

That blissful stretch that runs from Canada Day through to Labour Day offers only the shortest of windows to soak up what our beautiful county has to offer, while the weather still allows us to.

It goes by in a flash, with those long, hot, hazy days giving way to the evening chill of fall before we know it.

However, with summer officially here, there comes a reminder to think twice about safety when hitting the road or water or taking part in outdoor activities.

Numbers from Statistics Canada show that unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for Canadians aged one to 44, ahead of cancer and heart disease, while injury is the third leading cause of death overall in Canada.

July 5, 2023 marks the seventh annual National Injury Prevention Day in Canada, aimed at raising awareness about predictable and preventable injuries.

According to Parachute, the Canadian injury prevention charity, an average of 48 Canadians die each day while 634 are hospitalized due to unintentional injuries – including falls, motor vehicle collisions, sports and recreation injuries, drownings, and accidental poisonings.

The preventable injury also kills more Canadian children each year than any disease and more youth than all other causes combined.

In addition to the physical harm, unintentional injuries come at a hefty price costing the Canadian economy an estimated $29.4-billion a year – that’s $56 million per day.

Traumatic injuries are preventable, and Parachute offers a wide range of safety tips HERE, covering activities such as driving, cycling, swimming, and off-roading.

West Haldimand General Hospital’s Emergency Department Team would like you to stay out of our emergency room this summer and all year! Please help us spread the word about injury prevention in Haldimand County!

Most of all, please be safe!

Quick facts from Parachute:

  • Every day, 48 Canadians die and 634 are hospitalized because of injuries.
  • Preventable injury kills more Canadian children than any disease, and more youth than all other causes combined.
  • 75 per cent of injury-related deaths are from unintentional causes, such as falls, car crashes and poisonings.
  • Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths, hospitalizations, emergency department visits and disabilities in Canada.