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Originally posted by Banksia
The issue of safety arises from time to time in this forum.

There is an article in yesterday's Good Weekend colour supplement to the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age (sadly not on line) which deals with this issue and in particular whether the next generation will not be able to cope in an adult world.

"When Paul Tranter (a researcher) was a boy, he and his friends would disappear for hours at a time into the bushland abutting their homes on the western outskirts of Newcastle. 'There were old mine shafts, blackberry bushes, swamps,' he says, 'It was a fantastic place to be a child.'"

Some stats

Deaths of children 5 to 14 all causes
1972 883
1982 715
1992 433
2002 358

Medical conditions
1972 474
1982 343
1992 234
2002 225

External causes
1972 409
1982 372
1992 199
2002 133

Homicide
1972 10
1982 17
1992 7
2002 5

And all this despite a substantial increase in population. A child is more likely to be killed by a parent than a stranger.

In 1991 37% of children were driven to school; now it's about 50% Is that what it takes to get pedestrian deaths from 106 to 24?

Deaths from obesity (or boredom) not counted separately.

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Originally posted by Megalania
Bastards have taken away the main improver of the gene pool - gunpowder.

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