Injuries: introduction

Injuries are a common cause of death within the Scottish population: approximately 1 in 23 adult deaths and 1 in 13 child deaths in 2020 were caused by unintentional injury. (Unintentional Injuries in Scotland 2021)

The risk of death and severe injury is high across locations and activities as diverse as: the home; leisure activities and sports; road transportation; the workplace; and, in connection with consumer products and services. Injuries are often classified as unintentional (due to accidents) or intentional (due to self-harm or interpersonal violence). Increasingly the term "injury" is preferred to "accidents" as the latter implies events are inevitable and unavoidable, whereas a high proportion of these incidents are now regarded as being preventable.