In Chapter 5 of Freakonomics, which explores the art and science of parenting, we pose this question: Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? It turns out that far more children die each year in swimming pool accidents than in gun incidents. For parents in warm-weather states like Florida, California, and Arizona, this is plainly a year-round concern, and now that summer seems to have leapt over spring (at least here in New York City, where it hit 80 F. yesterday), swimming-pool season is nearly here for all of us.
That’s why I thought it was worthwhile to pass along this e-mail from Bob Lyons of Ottawa, who in 1998 invented a “personal immersion alarm” called the Safety Turtle. (Too bad this guy came along too soon for American Inventor; they really could have used him.) As Lyons writes:
Many mothers [and grandparents and pet owners] were positive; while men were often dismissive. Yet, astonishingly, actions said: “great invention for other people,” but for us, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”! I wonder how the inventor of the car seat belt did?
Fortunately, Safety Turtle technology was adopted in workplaces and in boating. And finally pool owners are buying it in large numbers. It’s saving lives as intended, as a last layer of protection — not, to quote a dismissive pool & spa industry leader in 2001, as an “electronic baby sitter.”
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? is pretty compelling. Thank you for helping expose the anomaly that has been so tragic for so many families.
Hey Bob: maybe you’ll consider giving me and Levitt your Safety Turtle sales data so we can back and see if the areas that buy more of your Safety Turtles end up suffering less pool accidents and injuries?
2 Comments
The question in the book about which is more dangerous.. swimming pools or guns… is complete rubbish. Children are not given the same access to guns are they are to swimming pools! Are you saying that if children were allowed play near and with guns to the same level they play near and with swimming pool there would be less deaths from guns? Jeepers. And when I say “dont have access” thats as simple as your dad saying “touch that gun and ill whup your ass”.. or the young persons common sense which is normally enough.
Great book though… we need more of that McLuhan style thinking.
Hey what do you think of this idea… the the fall in crime is also related to the mass adoption of TV and absorbtion of moral themes from sitcoms, cartoons… even comics. The mediums for the mojority portray corruption/crime as out of place rather than common place which may have forced reality to get in a line a litte. over
— robertBy this logic a peanut butter sandwich is more dangerous than a nuclear bomb, because more children die from peanut allergies each year than from nuclear bombs explosions.
The guns vs. swimming pools argument is a false comparison that does not take into account the fact that far more children have encounters each year with swimming pools than they do with guns.
— Jamie