Most spinal cord injuries are preventable, so knowing their causes can help you avoid becoming injured.

The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center at the University of Alabama-Birmingham conducts annual spinal cord injury research, including an assortment of statistics on SCI injuries. It's interesting to note that, in almost all categories of injuries, men are more likely to be injured than women.

In 2014, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the 10 leading causes of spinal cord injuries, and their percentage of the total number of injuries, were as follows:

Auto Accidents: Nationwide, car accidents claim more than 32,000 lives annually. Moreover, car accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, accounting for 7,205 (29.3%) male injuries and 2,402 (48.3%) female injuries in 2014.

Falls: Falls were the second-leading cause of SCI in 2014, accounting for 5,406 (22%) of male injuries and 1,262 (21.5%) of female injuries.

Gunshot Wounds: Gun-related injuries accounted for 4,163 (16.9%) of male SCIs in 2014, and 572 (9.1%) of female injuries.

Diving Injuries: Propelling head first into the water is an inherently dangerous activity. 1,718 (7%) men suffered spinal cord injuries due to diving accidents in 2014, with 122 (2.1%) female divers experiencing an SCI.

Motorcycle Accidents: The lack of external protection means that even minor motorcycle collisions can be deadly. In 2014, 1,695 (6.9%) men suffered spinal cord injuries while on motorcycles, with a mere 145 (2.5%) women experiencing such injuries.

Falling Objects: Those who work in industries where falling objects are common are especially vulnerable. 822 men (3.3%) and 37 women (.6%) experienced spinal cord injuries due to falling objects in 2014.

Medical and Surgical Complications: Choosing the right doctor, and carefully monitoring any unusual symptoms, can help you avoid a medically induced SCI. 537 (2.2%) men suffered spinal cord injuries due to medical complications in 2014.

Pedestrian Injuries: Ample research suggests that pedestrians are often distracted by phones and other devices. In 2014, 357 (1.5%) men suffered pedestrian-related spinal cord injuries, with 131 women (2.2%) meeting a similar fate.

Bicycle Accidents: Helmets save lives. Over time, fatal bicycle accidents have generally declined, suggesting that helmet laws are working to keep cyclists safe. Nevertheless, 409 men (1.7%) and 49 women (.8%) suffered bicycling-related spinal cord injuries in 2014.

Other SCI Injury Causes:

·       Unclassified, which includes injuries that don't fit into a single category, or for which adequate data is not available;

·       Penetrating wounds, such as an object entering the brain or spinal cord;

·       All-terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents;

·       Accidents in other vehicles, such as jet skis and boats;

·       Snow skiing;

·       Football;

·       Winter sports such as snowboarding;

·       Horseback riding;

·       Surfing, including body surfing;

·       Other sports-related injuries.