Harry Tuttle
Member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2003
- Messages
- 3,093
http://www.detnews.com/2004/editorial/0401/02/a08-24226.htm
Friday, January 2, 2004
Gun deaths are at lowest levels in a century
By Stephen L. Sanetti / Special to The Detroit News
The News’ recent series about firearms safety completely misses the mark. In actuality, this nation is experiencing an epidemic of gun safety (“Flawed Guns: Public at risk,†Dec. 14-16).
The National Safety Council “Injury Facts 2003†reports that since 1993, firearm homicides are down 41 percent, and fatal firearm accidents have dropped 49 percent to the lowest levels since records have been kept, beginning in 1903.
While any accidental fatality is tragic, to keep matters in perspective, please consider that in 2002 there were 44,000 accidental automobile deaths, 15,700 accidental poisoning deaths, 14,500 accidental deaths caused by falls, 4,200 accidental deaths caused by suffocation by ingested objects, 3,000 accidental drowning deaths, 2,900 accidental deaths caused by fires, flames, and smoke, 2,900 accidental deaths caused by mechanical suffocation, and 1,000 accidental deaths caused by natural heat or cold, while accidental firearms deaths dropped to 776. No other category has seen such a consistent and dramatic decline.
As the nation’s largest firearms manufacturer, our own experience mirrors this trend. Accidents with our products have dropped to pre-1972 levels. We have only three pending product liability lawsuits arising out of the use of over 20,000,000 firearms which we have manufactured since 1949. None of our products manufactured since 1973 has ever been found to be defective or lacking in any instructions or warnings for safe use by any court or jury anywhere in the nation.
On our own initiative, we have spent many millions of dollars on voluntary firearms safety programs, and have undertaken many product safety warnings, retrofits and recalls when appropriate. Beginning in 1987, we were the first firearms manufacturer to ship all our pistols and revolvers in lockable boxes, and have since shipped all of our firearms with appropriate locking devices. We even sell gun safes, and support “Project Childsafe,†which has donated many thousands of free gun locks to city residents across the nation.
The ever-decreasing number of firearms accidents shows that, thankfully, these safety programs have been working, but you would never know that from your articles.
Stephen L. Sanetti
President
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
Southport, Connecticut
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
referenced Detroit News articles:
http://www.detnews.com/2003/editorial/0312/16/a08-9825.htm
http://www.detnews.com/2003/specialreport/0312/14/a01-7206.htm
http://www.detnews.com/2003/specialreport/0312/14/a13-7201.htm
http://www.detnews.com/2003/specialreport/0312/14/a12-7195.htm
Friday, January 2, 2004
Gun deaths are at lowest levels in a century
By Stephen L. Sanetti / Special to The Detroit News
The News’ recent series about firearms safety completely misses the mark. In actuality, this nation is experiencing an epidemic of gun safety (“Flawed Guns: Public at risk,†Dec. 14-16).
The National Safety Council “Injury Facts 2003†reports that since 1993, firearm homicides are down 41 percent, and fatal firearm accidents have dropped 49 percent to the lowest levels since records have been kept, beginning in 1903.
While any accidental fatality is tragic, to keep matters in perspective, please consider that in 2002 there were 44,000 accidental automobile deaths, 15,700 accidental poisoning deaths, 14,500 accidental deaths caused by falls, 4,200 accidental deaths caused by suffocation by ingested objects, 3,000 accidental drowning deaths, 2,900 accidental deaths caused by fires, flames, and smoke, 2,900 accidental deaths caused by mechanical suffocation, and 1,000 accidental deaths caused by natural heat or cold, while accidental firearms deaths dropped to 776. No other category has seen such a consistent and dramatic decline.
As the nation’s largest firearms manufacturer, our own experience mirrors this trend. Accidents with our products have dropped to pre-1972 levels. We have only three pending product liability lawsuits arising out of the use of over 20,000,000 firearms which we have manufactured since 1949. None of our products manufactured since 1973 has ever been found to be defective or lacking in any instructions or warnings for safe use by any court or jury anywhere in the nation.
On our own initiative, we have spent many millions of dollars on voluntary firearms safety programs, and have undertaken many product safety warnings, retrofits and recalls when appropriate. Beginning in 1987, we were the first firearms manufacturer to ship all our pistols and revolvers in lockable boxes, and have since shipped all of our firearms with appropriate locking devices. We even sell gun safes, and support “Project Childsafe,†which has donated many thousands of free gun locks to city residents across the nation.
The ever-decreasing number of firearms accidents shows that, thankfully, these safety programs have been working, but you would never know that from your articles.
Stephen L. Sanetti
President
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
Southport, Connecticut
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
referenced Detroit News articles:
http://www.detnews.com/2003/editorial/0312/16/a08-9825.htm
http://www.detnews.com/2003/specialreport/0312/14/a01-7206.htm
http://www.detnews.com/2003/specialreport/0312/14/a13-7201.htm
http://www.detnews.com/2003/specialreport/0312/14/a12-7195.htm
