According to a new study by Underwriters Laboratories, where a child is raised can impact his chances of being involved in a serious accident. U.S. kids sustain 14 million potentially debilitating accidental injuries every year. Sadly, many of these accidents could have been prevented. Using 25 different criteria, the 50 largest U.S. cities were evaluated to determine which ones do the best job of preventing needless accidents. The criteria included accessibility to hospitals and response time for fire and police personnel as well as regulations regarding smoking, home inspections, smoke and CO alarms, pool safety and bike helmets. In addition, crime rates, air quality and incidence of child pedestrian accidents, injuries and drowning were taken into consideration. The 10 safest cities for children are:
Boston, Massachusetts | Portland, Oregon |
Columbus, Ohio | San Francisco, California |
Louisville, Kentucky | Seattle, Washington |
Minneapolis, Minnesota | Tampa, Florida |
New York, New York | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
