Accidental Shootings: Many Deaths and Injuries Caused by Firearms Could Be Prevented
PEMD-91-9
Published: Mar 19, 1991. Publicly Released: Apr 17, 1991.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the extent to which certain safety devices could prevent firearms-related deaths, focusing on the proportion of accidental deaths that might be averted by modifying the firearms with an automatic engaging childproof safety device or with a device that indicates whether a gun is loaded.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to clearly establish that the Consumer Product Safety Commission can regulate the risk of injury associated with firearms. | Legislation was introduced to enact the recommendation in the last Congress, but it has not been reintroduced, and there are no current plans to do so. |
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Topics
Accident preventionAccidentsComparative analysisFirearmsHealth hazardsProduct safetyPublic health legislationSafety regulationSafety standardsDeaths