Now that we’re two months deep in the new year, let’s take a look at the drowning stats for January 2022. This year, there are a few changes regarding who is providing the numbers, but the information is just as reliable as ever.
U.S. Drowning Stats for January 2022
Each month, we compare the current numbers with each of the previous 13 years of drowning statistics. For several years now, the Safety Blog has been happy to share statistics and maps provided to us by Total Aquatic Programming. This year, Total Aquatic Programming has announced that they’ve joined forces with the National Drowning Prevention Alliance Board of Directors.
These organizations have been collecting drowning data since 2008. Together, they are working to provide water safety experts with the most comprehensive drowning data possible. According to their webpage, this process involves about 1,100-man hours per year.
Thanks to the provided numbers and charts, water safety experts can discover patterns of behavior that may be contributing to an increase in drownings. The detailed analysis, available on Total Aquatic Programming’s website, is extremely helpful for picking up on recent trends. For example, it could show an uptick in drownings for a particular age group, activity, or location. Taking time to fully explore these drowning stats and maps can provide water safety experts with the data needed to recognize potential dangers and adjust safety education accordingly.
The basic drowning stats for January 2022 track more than 15 separate items from every drowning that occurs throughout the country.
These items include, but are not limited to:
- date
- state
- city
- county
- age and gender of the victim
- ethnicity, if recorded
- body of water in which the drowning occurred
- and several other circumstances that can help to provide some guidance in the prevention of future drownings.
If you are interested in learning more about the people behind this data, watch our full Child Safety Source interview with Total Aquatic Programming’s Mick Nelson.
Chart: Drowning Stats for January 2022
Overall, the drowning stats for January 2022 are fairly promising. Granted, they aren’t the best we’ve seen, but they are close. As you can see, there were 51 total drowning incidents, which is less than previous years stretching all the way back to 2016.
That said, there are still areas for improvement. Via the official website, the data providers offer more detailed statistics. After a closer loook, we noticed that a significant number of drowning incidents were caused via faulty pool gates. As regular readers of this blog know, this is data that we’ve explored before. In the past, we have described the importance and value of a choosing a proper pool fence. It can provide an extra barrier to keep little ones, and even pets, away from the water.
To learn more, read our dedicated blog post about choosing a pool fence. As an additional layer of protection a sturdy, properly installed pool fence can save a life.
If you are interested in learning more about the people behind this data, watch our full Child Safety Source interview with Total Aquatic Programming’s Mick Nelson.
