Non-vehicular accidents among teenagers--the 5-year Metro Dade County experience from 1979 to 1983.

A study of non-vehicular accidents among the teenage population of Metropolitan Dade County, Miami, Florida, U.S.A., was performed. The case files of the Office of the Medical Examiner were reviewed and all teenage non-vehicular accidents during the 5-year period from 1979 to 1983 were collected. These 102 cases were then analyzed as to the age, race, sex, cause of death, blood alcohol content at autopsy, and drugs detected of the victim. The geographic location, scene circumstances, and presence of human error were also noted. Predominantly, a white male population between 16 and 19 years is involved. Usually they die from drowning at home or in a natural body of water, commonly drugs or alcohol are involved; human error or poor judgment is noted two-thirds of the time.