Injuries are predictable and preventable. A key strategy for supporting healthy communities is through injury prevention. Some injuries result in little more than scrapes or bruises, while others can lead to significant harm requiring time and rehabilitation for healing, permanent disability, and even death. Examples of preventable injuries include concussions, broken bones, poisonings, heat exhaustion, frostbite, burns, or drownings. Preventable injuries are often unintentional, but they can also be intentionally inflicted such as gunshot wounds or traumatic brain injuries (e.g., from violence, self-inflicted injuries, and suicide).

The most frequent types of injury-related hospitalizations and deaths vary by age group. Across the lifespan, falls and motor-vehicle-incidents are the most common causes of unintentional injuries. The most common type of intentionally inflicted injuries are self-harm and suicide. These mechanisms of injuries have been identified as key priorities for BC.^[51,52]

For more comprehensive data on injuries in BC, please see the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit data and surveillance webpage.