These deaths are those resulting from an accidental fall. The fall can be anything from falling over in the street (which can be fatal in older people) to falling off a high building.

See also Map 33 Suicide/undertermined by jumping.

Female deaths account for nearly two thirds of this cause. We have mapped male and female rates separately as there are differences in the geographical patterns. Scotland, particularly the northern and eastern parts, stands out on the female map, with Lancashire and Stoke also having high rates. Slightly lower rates are found in south Wales, Birmingham and Manchester. Southern England, East Anglia, the Wirral and much of Yorkshire have the lowest rates. Osteoporosis may be implicated in some of these deaths. A fall that a younger, fitter person would walk away from may very well be fatal for a frail, old person.

Although the overall pattern of the male map is similar to that of female deaths, there are subtle differences. Generally, the male map does not exhibit the extremes of the female. A larger proportion of male deaths from this cause are likely to be due to occupational or industrial falls, such as falling off scaffolding.

The age–sex bar chart shows that deaths from falls can occur at any age, but they are more likely at older ages, especially for women aged 75 and above. It is likely that the falls for younger people may be from high buildings or perhaps falls on mountains or cliffs. However, older people are much more likely to fall in and around their own home.

Older people may fall for a number of reasons, such as mobility problems, the effects of medication, poor vision, medical problems (for example, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease) and hazards in the home.

Falls may be prevented by managing the environment in which a person lives as well as attending to medical and lifestyle factors.

The entertainer Rod Hull died from falling off his roof while adjusting his television aerial.