Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Cheerleading (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #370 of 838 by danger score (36/100) at ER-volume #82 of 838 (30,539/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #370
- danger rank of 838
- #82
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 36/100
- danger score
- 30,539/yr
- estimated ER visits (avg)
Danger score combines injury volume, hospitalization, fatality, and five-year trend. ER volume is the average annual NEISS estimate alone. Rank 1 is highest on each list.
Where this category's danger score sits nationally
Danger score (36/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
36 Around the middle lower than 44% of 838 product categories
scored CPSC product categories, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more product categories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CPSC NEISS, PlainSafety danger-score model · 2024
Composite verdict
Composite Safety Score: 32/100
One verdict blending 4 independently-sourced dimensions from two separate CPSC systems, each benchmarked against all 838 scored product categories by percentile rather than raw value, so no single huge-volume category can dominate the scale.
| Dimension | Value | National percentile | Weight applied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injury severity (hospitalization + fatality blend) | 1 | 8th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 30,539 | 89th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -34% | 18th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 0 | 0th | 20% | CPSC SaferProducts.gov public incident report count |
Methodology: each dimension is ranked against the full population's p10/p25/p50/p75/p90 breakpoints and interpolated to a 0-100 percentile; the composite is the weighted average of available percentiles. See methodology for the full benchmark table.
Where 610,825 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 3254. Segments sum to 610,825 - a body-map mix, not a danger score or ER-volume rank.
Two danger lenses
Same-group peer scores and this product's dial
The bars compare PlainSafety danger scores inside the Sports Protective Equipment & Gear group (same CPSC NEISS extract). The dial is this product's score alone on the Low/Moderate/High bands. Do not read a peer bar as an ER-visit count.
Sports Protective Equipment & Gear danger scores
How this 36/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 30,539 ER visits/yr High volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 1.3% Low admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-34%
Band labels compare this category against the corpus of 838 scored CPSC product categories, see the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Across the 20-year NEISS window from 2005 to 2024, injury counts for cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment) are declining by about 34% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2015 (40,843 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (10,672 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is strain, sprain to the ankle, accounting for approximately 60,493 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the head (50,307 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 305,260 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 1.3% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 0 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment) fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 277 | 1,067 | |
| 5-14 | 3,363 | 301,897 | |
| 15-24 | 10,582 | 286,202 | |
| 25-34 | 706 | 3,525 | |
| 35-44 | 15 | 2,019 | |
| 45-54 | 75 | 624 | |
| 55-64 | 68 | 252 | |
| 65-74 | 0 | 15 | |
| 75+ | 0 | 100 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Knee | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Finger | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Finger | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
14 YOF INJ HEAD CHEER PRACTICE DOING STUNT ON SOMEONE'S SHOULDERS LOST BALANCE FELL BACK ONTO MAT AT SCHOOL DX MINOR CLOSED HEAD INJ ;
10 YOF RT WRIST PAIN X 2 WEEKS THAT STARTED AFTER CHEERLEADING PRACTICE. DX: RT WRIST PAIN
16 YOF WAS AT CHEER PRACTICE TODAY WHEN SHE FELL AND HIT HER HEAD ~ 1650 TODAY. SHE WAS BEING TOSSED IN THE AIR AND WAS ABOUT 10 FEET HIGH. HER FEET WERE CAUGHT BUT NOT HER HEAD AND THE BACK OF HER HEAD NECK AND BACK HIT THE GROUND. DX CLOSED HEAD INJURY WITH BRIEF LOC
17YOM WAS THE BASE OF CHEERLEADING DX: INJURY TO NOSE
14 YOF C/O ANKLE PAIN AFTER DOING CHEER PRACTICE DX MILD ANKLE SPRAIN
13YOF TO ER FOR HEAD INJURY THAT OCCURED AT CHEER PRACTICE, PT WAS SPOTTER IN BACK & GIRL FELL ON TOP OF PT WHO HIT HER HEAD ONN THE MAT, NO LOC, PT SAYS SAW STARS & WAS OUT OF IT FOR FEW MINS DX INJURY OF HEAD
14YOF WAS AT CHEERLEADING PRACTICE WHEN ANOTHER STUDENT STRUCK HER IN THE HEAD ACCIDENTALLY DX CONCUSSION STRAINED NECK
16YOF HAD A FALL AT CHEERLEADING PRACTICE DX STRAINED LOWER BACK
15YOF WAS AT CHEERLEADING & DID BACK HANDSPRING & FELT CRACK IN HER ELBOW, PT SAYS HURTS TO MOVE ARM DX FALL, CLSD DISLOCATION OF LEFT ELBOW
15YOF INJURED KNEE & ANKLE WHILE CHEERLEADING. DX: KNEE PAIN, ANKLE PAIN
16YOF SYNCOPE & FELL DURING CHEERLEADING PRACTICE. INJURY & BODY PT N.S. DX: SYNCOPE
16YOF, COMPLAINS OF CALF PAIN AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH THAT STARTED DURING CHEERLEADING PRACTICE, DX: SHORTNESS OF BREATH
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment) on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Cheerleading (activity, Apparel Or Equipment): cross-group products nearest on danger score (36/100), estimated annual ER visits (30,539/yr), and hospitalization share (1.3%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.
Similar danger score
Nearest cross-group products by PlainSafety danger score (100-point scale).
Similar ER visit volume
Nearest cross-group products by NEISS estimated annual ER visits.
- Gymnastics And Associated Equipment Sports & Recreation Equipment 30,501/yr
- Nonelectric Razors Or Shavers Personal Care & Safety Products 30,681/yr
- Tablet Or Capsule Drugs Transportation & Substances 30,253/yr
- Manual Cleaning Equipment (excl. Buckets And Pails) Containers, Tableware & Packaging 31,350/yr
Similar hospitalization rate
Nearest cross-group products by % of NEISS ER visits resulting in hospital admission.
Related Products in Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
Read with this product
About this data
CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports form the basis of this page. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments.
According to PlainSafety's CPSC NEISS corpus ranking, Cheerleading (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #370 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #82 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment) rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment) ranks #370 by PlainSafety danger score (36/100) and #82 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (30,539/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment)?
The most common injury is strain, sprain to the ankle, accounting for approximately 60,493 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Down 34% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 305,260 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment), approximately 1.3% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (98.7%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with cheerleading (activity, apparel or equipment)?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
PlainSafety is rendered directly from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall and incident records, no number is typed in by an editor. Product recall timelines and hazard labels are drawn from CPSC recall records for this product. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.