Every year, worldwide, men and women experience unanticipated events or accidents that harm and in some cases kill them.

Often, that is the result of making bad choices or not knowing what the wise choice to make was; here is some guidance on making the right decisions to reduce your odds of becoming a statistic.

Outsmart Wildlife.

If you come face-to-face with a wild animal, the natural response is to bolt, but that can trigger the animal's predatory instinct. On July 6, 2011, Brian Matayoshi, 57, and his wife, Marylyn, 58, were hiking in Yellowstone National Park when they came upon a grizzly bear and fled, screaming. Brian was bitten and clawed to death; Marylyn, who had stopped and crouched behind a tree, was approached by the bear but left unharmed.

STAT: Each year three to five people are killed in North America in wild animal attacks, primarily by sharks and bears.

DO: Avoid shark-infested waters. As for bears, always carry repellent pepper spray when hiking; it can stop a charging bear from as much as 30 feet away. To reduce the risk of an attack, give bears a chance to get out of your way. “Try to stay in the open,” says Larry Aumiller, manager of Alaska's McNeil River State Game Sanctuary. “If you have to move through thick brush, make noise by clapping and shouting.”

Keep It on the Dirt.

On the morning of July 14, 2013, Taylor Fails, 20, turned left in his 2004 Yamaha Rhino ATV at a paved intersection near his Las Vegas–area home. The high-traction tire treads gripped the road and the vehicle flipped, ejecting Fails and a 22-year-old passenger. Fails died at the scene; the passenger sustained minor injuries.

STAT: One-third of fatal ATV accidents take place on paved roads; more than 300 people died in on-road ATV wrecks in 2011.

DO: Ride only off-road. Paul Vitrano, executive vice president of the ATV Safety Institute, says, “Soft, knobby tires are designed for traction on uneven ground and will behave unpredictably on pavement.” In some cases, tires will grip enough to cause an ATV to flip, as in the recent Nevada incident. “If you must cross a paved road to continue on an approved trail, go straight across in first gear.”

Mow on the Level.

Whirring blades are the obvious hazard. But most lawnmower-related deaths result from riding mowers flipping over on a slope and crushing the drivers.

STAT: About 95 Americans are killed by riding mowers each year.

DO: Mow up and down a slope, not sideways along it. How steep is too steep? “If you can't back up a slope, do not mow on it,” Carl Purvis of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises.

Keep your Footing.

One mistake is responsible for about half of all ladder accidents: carrying something while climbing.

STAT: More than 700 people die annually in falls from ladders and scaffolding.

DO: Keep three points of contact while climbing; use work-belt hooks, a rope and pulley, or other means to get items aloft.

Ford Carefully.

A shallow stream can pack a surprising amount of force, making fording extremely dangerous. Once you've been knocked off your feet, you can get dragged down by the weight of your gear, strike rocks in the water, or succumb to hypothermia.

STAT: Water-related deaths outnumber all other fatalities in U.S. national parks; no specific statistics are available for accidents while fording streams.

DO: Cross at a straight, wide section of water. Toss a stick into the current; if it moves faster than a walking pace, don't cross. Unhitch waist and sternum fasteners before crossing; a wet pack can pull you under.

Stay Warm and Dry.

Cold is a deceptive menace—most fatal hypothermia cases occur when it isn't excessively cold, from 30 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Wet clothes compound the effect of the temperature.

STAT: Hypothermia kills almost 1000 people a year in the U.S.

DO: Wear synthetic or wool clothing, not moisture-trapping cotton. If stranded, conserve heat by stuffing your clothes or shelter with dry leaves.

Let Leaning Trees Stand.

The motorized blade isn't always the most dangerous thing about using a chain saw. Trees contain enormous amounts of energy that can release in ways both surprising and lethal. If a tree stands at an angle, it becomes top-heavy and transfers energy lower in the trunk. When sawed, it can shatter midcut and create a so-called barber chair. The fibers split vertically, and the rearward half pivots backward.

STAT: In 2012, 32 people died felling trees.

DON‘T: Saw into any tree or limb that's under tension.

Use Generators Safely.

After Hurricane Sandy, many homeowners used portable generators to replace lost power, leaving the machines running overnight and allowing odorless carbon monoxide to waft inside. The gas induces dizziness, headaches, and nausea in people who are awake, but “when people go to sleep with a generator running, there's no chance for them to realize that something's wrong,” says Brett Brenner, president of the Electrical Safety Foundation International.

STAT: Carbon monoxide from consumer products, including portable generators, kills nearly 200 a year. Of the Sandy-related deaths, 12 were due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

DO: Keep generators more than 20 feet from a house.

Go with the Flow.

The tourist season got off to a grisly start this year in Gulf Shores, Ala. During a two-day period in early June, four men drowned after being caught in rip currents. The unusually strong currents were invisible, not even roiling the surface. Rip currents occur when water rushing back from the shoreline is channeled through a narrow gap between two sand bars, accelerating the outward flow.

STAT: More than 100 Americans drown in rip currents each year.

DO: Allow the current to carry you out beyond the riptide's flow, then swim laterally until you reach a position where you can turn and stroke safely to shore.

Beat the Heat.

A rock formation in Utah called The Wave is remote and beautiful, but also arid and sweltering. This past July a couple hiking the area were found dead after the afternoon heat overwhelmed them.

STAT: An average of 675 people die each year in the U.S. from heat-related complications.

DO: Carry lots of fluids, hike in the morning, and let people know where you're going when trekking in the desert.

There are thousands of ways you can hurt, maim and kill yourself if you participate in any outdoor activity.

Reducing risks, however, is one way to also reduce the chances that you will end up being one of those folks who make the evening news because of the random event that happened to you.

For these and other tips on reducing your risks of an accident, please visit Popular Mechanics.