Darts, For Indoor Use (activity Or Equipment)
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Sports Protective Equipment & Gear · CPSC Code 3289
Up 46% over 5 years
The verdict
Darts, For Indoor Use (activity Or Equipment) carry a danger score of 35/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 444 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 46% over the last five years.
- 35/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 444
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 6.7%
- end in hospital admission
- 15-24
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 3289 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 35/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for darts, for indoor use (activity or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume444 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)6.7%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+46%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Darts, For Indoor Use (activity Or Equipment) (CPSC product code 3289, in the Sports Protective Equipment & Gear category) generate an estimated 444 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 8,880 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 35/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are rising by about 46% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2012 (801 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (82 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for darts, for indoor use (activity or equipment) is contusions, abr. to the eyeball, accounting for approximately 867 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the head (299 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,535 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 6.7% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 4 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how darts, for indoor use (activity 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 CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 313 | 304 | |
| 5-14 | 1,200 | 413 | |
| 15-24 | 1,879 | 656 | |
| 25-34 | 971 | 483 | |
| 35-44 | 402 | 343 | |
| 45-54 | 529 | 445 | |
| 55-64 | 258 | 232 | |
| 65-74 | 260 | 77 | |
| 75+ | 55 | 55 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Foot | Puncture | |
| Head | Foreign Body | |
| Shoulder | Dislocation | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Face | Foreign Body | |
| Head | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
55YOM WAS PLAYING DARTS AND DEVELOPED CHEST PAIN. DX: CHEST PAIN
9 YOF INJURED NOSE, WHILE USING A DARTBOARD, ACCIDENTALLY HIT WITH A DART IN NOSE. DX-PUNCTURE WOUND NOSE, FOREIGN BODY NOSE
60YOF WITH TRIP AND FALL STRIKING HER HEAD. SHE WAS OUT AT A BAR DRINKING ALCOHOL AND PARTYING THROWING DARTS WHEN SHE LOST HER BALANCE AND FELL TO THE GROUND AND HIT HER HEAD. BAL NA DX: HEAD INJURY, FALL, ALCOHOL INTOXICATION
31YOM PRESENTS WITH A RIGHT SHOULDER DISLOCATION AFTER THROWING DARTS AT AD ART BOARD. HAD BEEN DRINKING BEER, BAC NOT COLLECTED. DX: ANTERIOR SHOULDER DISLOCATION, RIGHT
4YOF HAD BEEN CHEWING ON A RED *** DART, TO ED WITH HIVES, REDNESS ITCHING AROUND MOUTH, CHEEKS AND EARS, DX RASH, POSS ALLERGIC REACTION
52 YOF C/O FOOT FRACTURE S/P FALL WHILE PLAYING DARTS WHILE INTOXICATED WITH ALCOHOL. BAL NOT STATED. DX: FOOT FRACTURE; ALCOHOL INTOXICATION
45YOM REPORTS HE HAD SYNCOPE AFTER HE STARTED PLAYING DARTS AND FELL TO THE FLOOR DX NO INJURY
21YOM STATES HE AND HIS FRIENDS WERE PLAYING DARTS, HE HAD HIS HAND ON THE DART BOARD WHILE HIS FRIEND WAS THROWING DARTS AT THE DART BOARD, DART STRUCK HIS HAND DX RT 3RD FINGER FOREIGN BODY
22YOF PREESNTS WITH EYE PAIN. PATIENT STATES SHE WAS PULLING A DART OUT OF THE DART BOARD AND IT CAME LOOSE SUDDENTLY AND THE BACK OF THE DARK STRUCK HER IN THE EYE. DX: CORNEAL ABRASION
21YOF WAS AT A PARTY WHEN SHE WAS STRUCK BY A DART ON HER ANKLE. DX: LEFT ANKLE INJURY
66YOM DEVELOPED SHOULDER PAIN FROM THROWING DARTS. DX: RT SHOULDER STR
13YOM, WAS PLAYING WITH DART BOARD WHEN THREW A *** STAR AT THE DARTBOARD AND IT POUNCED OFF AND LANDED ONTO HIS FOOT, DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT FOOT
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
My 4 year was playing with the dart board and when he threw the dart the board bounced off the refrigerator and left a laceration on his nose and the bottom rim of his eye. Also has a corneal abrasion.
My son was playing with a new toy and when it opened it resulted in a dime-sized laceration to his finger. FenglinTech Grenade for [REDACTED], Large Capacity Foam Bullet Ball Hand Grenade for CS [REDACTED] Battle Game - V2 https://www.amazon.com/FenglinTech-Grenade-Capacity-Bullet-Battle/dp/B07L4M3JH2/ref=asc_df_B07L4M3JH2/?tag=hyprod- 20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241949400705&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13652528450033242231&hvpone=&hvptwo= &hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004740&hvtargid=pla-617440525650&psc=1
I purchased a Marky Sparky Doinkit Dart Board from Amazon.com for our games room. It arrived quickly, looks nice, and is fun to play with. The trouble is that the metal face plate separated from the plastic back and sliced a little boys nose before it hit the floor. So beware, the metal face plate may not be securily fastened to the back. Pulling the darts off the board may result in injuries. I am going to drill a hole through the face plate and back then use a nut, bolt, and washer to make sure the two pieces stay together.
Caller and wife purchase "Bullseye Safe" Dart Game, the board has plastic pins in it and after a short time of his 8yr old grandson playing with it the board pins began falling off and his 18 month old grandson saw one of them and put it in his mouth. Caller believes that his younger grandchild could have swallowed or choked on the one inch pin that he put in his mouth. Caller/grandfather took the one in his younger grandchilds mouth but states that if someone else's child was in a place where no one was watching as intently it could cause choking. He is asking that this game/toy be investigated and removed from purchase access. Child was not injured. Caller contacted the retailer who showed no interest The manufacturer is in China and he cannot access them
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to darts, for indoor use (activity or equipment) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are darts, for indoor use (activity or equipment)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, darts, for indoor use (activity or equipment) have a danger score of 35/100 (low risk). An estimated 444 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from darts, for indoor use (activity or equipment)?
The most common injury is contusions, abr. to the eyeball, accounting for approximately 867 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from darts, for indoor use (activity or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Up 46% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for darts, for indoor use (activity or equipment) injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,535 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by darts, for indoor use (activity or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving darts, for indoor use (activity or equipment), approximately 6.7% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (93.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with darts, for indoor use (activity 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.
Related Products in Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 35/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 15-24 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
