Every year on average, enough Maori children to fill nearly 100 classrooms are hospitalised by largely preventable accidents. Every year on average, 18 Maori children die and nearly 2900 are hospitalised because of unintentional injuries - the kind often referred to as accidents. Many many more children are treated at hospital emergency departments or private A&Es, by their local GP, or by their families

The most common setting for children to be unintentionally injured is in their own home, Many more are injured on our roads, or while at play, recreation or sport. Nationally Maori children appear to be at a similar risk of serious unintentionally injury as pakeha children of certain kinds of injury these include

Burns and scalds; In particular burns in house fires or from children playing with matches and lighters; scalds from hot beverages or household water that is too hot, and burns from touching hot things such as heaters. Although most children survive their burns and scalds, for those seriously injured recovery is not easy - physically or psychologically.

Children may require multiple surgery over extended periods of time and have to deal with the consequences of possible disfigurement for a lifetime. Treatment of burns and scalds is expensive - an estimated $3,000,000 each year for the treatment of hospitalised children alone. This do not include the cost of treating children at hospital emergency departments, GPs, or private A&Es nor additional costs to ACC

Pedestrian Injuries sustained by children usually while walking around their local communities(eg the school journey) or by toddlers being backed over in a family driveway Injuries sustained while riding in motor vehicles. Maori account for 30% of hospitalisations of child occupants of motor vehicles. The chance of injury requiring hospitalisation is higher for unrestrained children.