Is safe storage of firearms possible?

Safe storage of guns is something of a contradiction in terms, given the evidence that their mere presence in a home increases the risk of being used for suicide by a family member (

). This study of all US states, including 12 which had firearms storage laws during at least one year of the 16 year study period, sought to determine whether legal requirements for storage were associated with reduced firearms mortality among children younger than 15 years (

). Unintentional shooting deaths, the primary objective of the laws, were 23% lower than expected in the 12 states, and modest but non-significant declines were also noted in homicide and suicide deaths. The authors estimate that 39 deaths were prevented in the states with safe storage laws and that 216 deaths could have been prevented had similar laws been adopted nationwide.

Is safe motor vehicle transport possible?

Four items focus on different aspects of motor vehicle travel. A Scottish study reveals a new finding: that drivers with more than five demerit points on their licences were five times more likely (p < 0.001) to have had a motor vehicle crash in which a child was …