How not to die, 2001 edition, USA
All External Causes of Mortality: 160,099
Total deaths in USA: about 2,443,870 [
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/us.html ]
Things with a greater than 0.5% chance of killing you:
Transport Accidents
Nontransport Unintentional (Accidental) Injuries
Intentional self-harm
Assault
Overall you have a 4.3%-6.5% chance of dieing from 'external harm' as opposed to just wearing out (desease, sickness, etc).
Randomly, you are 5 times more likely to be shot by a policeman than executed, and 50 times more likely to be killed by a random person rather than a state actor. 1.5 times more people committed suicide than where killed by someone else.
Next, all the things with a greater than 0.05% chance of killing you (1 in 2000):
Exposure to smoke, fire and flames
-- Uncontrolled fire in building or structure
Accidental drowning and submersion
-- Other accidental threats to breathing
Inhalation and ingestion of other objects causing obstruction of respiratory tract
Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces
Falls
-- Other fall on same level
-- Other and unspecified fall
Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances
-- Narcotics and psychodysleptics [hallucinogens] n.e.c.
-- Other and unspecified drugs, medicaments, and biologicals
Accidental exposure to other and unspecified factors and sequelae
Intentional self-harm
-- Intentional self-poisoning
-- Intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation, and suffocation
-- Intentional self-harm by firearm
-- Other and unspecified means and sequelae
Assault
-- Assault by firearm
-- Assault by sharp object
-- Other and unspecified means and sequelae
Event of undetermined intent
-- Poisoning
Complications of medical and surgical care and sequelae
Transport Accidents
-- Pedestrian
-- Motorcycle rider
-- Car occupant
-- Occupant of pick-up truck or van
-- Other and unspecified land transport accidents
-- -- Other and unspecified person
From
http://www.nsc.org/lrs/statinfo/odds.htm
Heart desease: about 1/3 chance of killing you
Cancer: about 1/5 to 1/4 chance of killing you
http://www.census.gov/statab/www/part1.html
Hope this helps!