📅This fact may be outdated
The claim stems from 1995 CPSC data showing 37 deaths from 1978-1995 (2.18/year average). However, no vending machine deaths have been reported since 2008. The statistic was true historically but is no longer current.
More than ten people a year are killed by vending machines.
The Truth About Vending Machine Deaths
You've probably heard it: vending machines kill more people than sharks. It's the kind of statistic that gets repeated at parties, shared on social media, and used to make people feel better about ocean swimming. But here's the thing—it's based on data from the 1980s and 90s, and the world has changed.
What the Numbers Actually Said
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission documented 37 deaths and 113 injuries from vending machines between 1978 and 1995. That works out to about 2-3 deaths per year. Almost all of these happened the same way: someone didn't get their snack or change, got angry, and started rocking or tilting the machine until hundreds of pounds of metal and glass crushed them.
Here's what makes it darkly absurd: people died over bags of chips and stuck quarters. A Pepsi machine weighs around 800 pounds. A full Coke machine can hit 900. That's like having a grand piano fall on you—except pianos don't typically get shaken by frustrated customers.
Then Everything Changed
After the CPSC study made headlines in 1995, the vending machine industry actually did something. They launched a massive warning label campaign and started bolting machines to walls. The familiar yellow stickers appeared: "Warning! Never rock or tilt. Machine can fall over and cause serious injury or death."
It worked. The last reported vending machine death in the U.S. was in 2008—a man who died from a pulmonary embolism after a machine fell on his foot. That's over 17 years ago. Meanwhile, from 2008-2021, there were an estimated 36,600 emergency room visits related to vending machines, but these were mostly minor injuries and included incidents with slot machines and gumball machines.
Why the Myth Won't Die
The statistic lives on because it's counterintuitive and memorable. Sharks are scary; vending machines dispense snacks. The comparison makes for great clickbait. But it's essentially comparing 1990s data to modern shark statistics—and that's not exactly apples to apples.
Modern vending machines are also smarter. Many now have:
- Electronic payment systems (no more shaking for stuck quarters)
- Better dispensing mechanisms that actually work
- Lighter materials and better engineering
- Required wall anchoring in most commercial settings
So while your ancestors might have risked their lives for a Snickers bar, you're statistically safer around vending machines than you've ever been. The real danger now? The contents of what they're selling.