Which Causes More Deaths: Cow Attacks or Shark Attacks?

Cows are more dangerous than sharks — at least in terms of body count. In fact, in the United States alone, cows kill more than 20 times the number of people per year that sharks kill. On average, only one person dies from shark-related injuries each year in the U.S., many of which are not the result of deliberate attacks. The sharks simply mistake humans for food and take a bite. Cow-related injuries, however, account for more than 20 deaths a year in the U.S. — and almost all of them result from deliberate attacks.

More surprising killers:

• Stairs are hundreds of times more dangerous than elevators. Only about six people a year die from elevator malfunctions, but more than 2,000 die from falling down stairs.


• Even tap water can be dangerous — about 35 people a year die from being scalded with hot water out of a faucet.


• Falling out of or over furniture kills more people annually than falls from significant heights. About 200 more people die per year from either falling out of a bed or chair or tripping over furniture than die from falling off of cliffs, buildings or other tall things.