You’ve probably seen the stats about things that are more likely to kill you than a shark, but only a small portion of the world’s population actually lives near the coast – so why are we worried about them?
What about spiders? It’s safe to say that most people don’t enjoy the idea of spiders crawling on them, but are they really phobia-worthy? They aren’t going to kill you, so are you afraid of the spider, or are you just afraid of being afraid?
Either way, they’re one of the top ten most popular phobias, along with many other things that probably won’t kill you. What will kill you are everyday objects you don’t think twice about. The following random items are far more likely to cause fatalities than creepy-crawlies, so you can rest assured your current phobia is about to be replaced with a new one. *Note: statistics reflect data collected regarding only the United States unless otherwise noted.
1. MOSQUITOES
Sure, they’re super annoying, but you’re probably way more afraid of bees, right? (if you’re allergic to bees, you get a pass on this one) Data collected by the CDC shows that bees, wasps, and hornets combined cause an average of 56.6 U.S. deaths each year, while mosquitoes (the world’s deadliest animal) cause around one million deaths per year across the globe. To recap, that’s:
Bees/wasps/hornets: 56.6, Mosquitoes: 1 million
2. HANDS
Some people don’t like to pet dogs for fear of getting their hand bitten off, but their hand could actually be more dangerous than the dog itself. A study showed that left-handed people live significantly shorter lives and are five times as likely to die from accident-related injuries. Also, since about 36,000 people die from the flu and approximately 100,000 die from hospital-acquired infection each year, not washing your hands could potentially prove fatal. If you happen to be an unhygienic lefty, you’re probably headed toward a premature death. However, the terrifying dogs that haunt your nightmares are only likely to kill an annual average of 22.8 people.
Dogs: 22.8, Hands: A lot
3. YOUR HOUSE
Many people list thunderstorms as one of their biggest fears. While storms can be incredibly dangerous, statistically you’re more likely to be killed by your own home. In 2012 there were reportedly104 wind-related deaths, and only 23 fatalities caused by lightning strikes in 2013. However, 41 people were killed by falling furniture and TVs in 2011, 60 people die from electrocution by appliances and power tools each year, hot tap water kills 100 people per year, and about 184 die annually from carbon monoxide poisoning. Add all of that to the number of people who die falling out of bed or down the stairs and you’ve got yourself one killer house. When the storm is coming for you, are actually safer hiding out inside?
Wind/lightning: 127, Living in your house: 385+
4. FOOD
Food is delicious, nutritious, and really fun to eat. Unfortunately, around 3,037 people died from foodborne illnesses in 2011. That’s thousands more people than are killed by spiders, venomous snakes, and scorpions combined. While spiders only cause about 7.8 deaths a year, choking on food is the 19th most common death overall.
Creepy-crawlies: 14.46, Food: 3,037+
5. FOOTBALL
A disgusting rat could send even the burliest football player scrambling onto a chair, but he’s actually more likely to die from playing football than he is from a silly ol’ rat that kills less than one person a year. Data collected from 1945-1999 showed that 497 high school, college, and pro players died from brain-related injuries alone in a 54-year period, which averages to around 9 deaths per year.
Rats: 0.4, Football: 9
So… maybe bugs, reptiles, and rodents aren’t really so bad? Or maybe they don’t kill us that often because when we see them, we run the hell away. In any case, being at home is far more terrifying than it seems.
Via dykn.com
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