An advertisement for properly securing youngsters in vehicles stated the No. 1 killer of children ages 1 to 13 is motor vehicle collisions. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) supported that statement for youths up to age 24. Additionally, motor vehicle collisions were the No. 2 cause of death from unintentional injuries for those over 25.

In every age bracket death by firearm -- whether homicide or suicide -- was further down the list by varying amounts.

This is not intended to discount recent tragedies involving the use of firearms. It does raise the question of why are we not seeing more emphasis placed on motor vehicle deaths by the major news media and the White House? Is it because only spectacular incidents involving multiple fatalities are considered "newsworthy" by the national media or warrant meetings led by the vice president?

Should more pressure be applied to elected officials by families of those killed in motor vehicle collisions? Notice the word "accident" is not used since most of collisions are preventable and not mere "accidents."

Perhaps we just accept death by motor vehicle as part of the inherent risk of freedom of mobility.

JIM DAVISON, Waitsburg