Gun deaths passed motor vehicle deaths in 17 states, report says

More people died from guns than from motor vehicle accidents in 17 states and the District of Columbia in 2013, according to a new report from the Violence Policy Center.

Using the most recent year for which state-level data is available, VPC found in its annual report that there were more gun deaths than motor vehicle deaths in Alaska the numbers were 144 to 66; Arizona: 941 to 863; Colorado: 619 to 514; Indiana: 857 to 840; Louisiana: 886 to 767; Maryland: 578 to 531; Michigan: 1,190 to 1,063; Missouri: 880 to 781; Nevada: 395 to 281; Ohio: 1,289 to 1,144; Oregon: 462 to 363; Pennsylvania: 1,451 to 1,340; Tennessee: 1,030 to 1,027; Utah: 339 to 234; Virginia: 864 to 780; Washington: 632 to 540; Wyoming 102 to 92; along with the District of Columbia: 71 to 30.

Nationwide, there were 35,612 motor vehicle death in 2013 compared to 33,363 gun deaths, which include gun suicides, homicides and fatal unintentional shootings. Motor vehicle deaths include both occupants and pedestrians.

“Motor vehicle deaths are on a long-term decline nationwide, thanks to implementation of public health-based injury prevention strategies over the past several decades,” VPC said in a release. “Meanwhile, guns are the only consumer product the federal government does not regulate for health and safety.”