The number of Britons dying from freak accidents such as unknowingly drinking bleach or being crushed by a wardrobe has risen to a record high of more than 20,000 a year, new figures show.

So-called accidental deaths are 42% higher than they were two decades ago, with these types of deaths now the leading cause of preventable deaths in the under-40s.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), the organization that collected the data, warned that the UK was facing an “accident crisis”.

Falls remained the nation’s top accidental killer, accounting for nearly half of all deaths, followed by accidental ingestion of drugs, cleaning products or cosmetics, which accounted for one in four.

Transportation accidents of all types, including vehicles such as cars, bicycles and boats, accounted for only seven percent of all deaths.

The majority (55%) of accidental deaths in 2022 occurred at home.

Non-fatal accidents, those that only result in injury, are also on the rise, rising by 48% in the past two decades, with 740,000 hospital admissions in England alone, 50,000 of which were among children under 10.

Tragically, 61 of these resulted in the deaths of children.

More than 100 deaths from “inanimate mechanical forces”, such as a bookshelf or other piece of furniture crushing someone, were recorded last year.

Just over 30 deaths from “animated mechanical forces” such as power tools or lawnmowers were also included in the 2022 data.

In addition, last year there were 22 deaths from accidents such as electric shocks and nearly 300 deaths from accidental drownings such as in bathtubs.

RoSPA listed factors such as impoverishment and an aging population as potential contributors to the increase in the number of people suffering an accident.

RoSPA called on the government to implement a National Accident Prevention Strategy to “save lives, boost the economy and free up capacity in the NHS”.

Society chief executive Becky Hickman said: “We need to act now to stop preventable deaths and serious injuries – accidents are avoidable and don’t have to happen.

“Britain is facing an accident crisis.

“We are all much more likely to suffer a serious accident today than we were 20 years ago.

Falls remained the nation’s leading accidental killer, accounting for nearly half of all deaths

“Even those who have never been involved in an accident are still suffering as increasing numbers of accidents choke the UK economy and swallow up the NHS – taking up bed space, money, time and resources that could be directed to other serious diseases.

One accidental injury victim who was lucky to survive was Brian Whitnall, who cut off two of his toes while mowing his lawn earlier this year.

The 50-year-old sales manager had to stay in hospital for six days and have two operations after the accident.

“It was a warm Sunday and my partner Rachel was washing the driveway while I was cutting the grass,” Mr Whitnall said.

“While riding my Flymo lawnmower, I took a step back and my foot caught on the stairs leading to my nephew’s trampoline. Next thing I’m going to fall on my back.

“Instead of letting go of the handle, which would have stopped the engine, I gripped it harder to try to steady myself and brought the mower towards me.

“I felt a burning heat in my right foot and knew immediately that I had cut some toes.”

Mr Whitnall was taken to hospital where doctors told him they were unable to reattach the severed toes.

“I had two operations to try to ‘drain’ the wound, but unfortunately the toes – two in the middle on my right foot – were gone forever,” he said.

“I stayed in hospital for six days to be monitored and to make sure the wound was not infected.

“After that I had to wear a protective boot on my foot for a few weeks.”