Fewer Virginia children and teens are dying from accidental injuries than in the past, according to a new government report.
The report shows the death rate from accidents for those age 19 and younger fell 45 percent from 2000 to 2009. Nationally, the rate dropped about 30 percent.
The Virginia Department of Health attributes the decline mainly to a 76 percent drop in the death rate from motor vehicle crashes during the same period.
But the department said Wednesday that accidental injuries are still the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 19. Accidents killed more than 165 children in Virginia in 2010.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Karen Remley says Virginia children are living safer, healthier lives. But she says more needs to be done to protect them from accidental injuries.
