Star charted accident claims tally show Librans most accident prone; Perfectionists Virgo's come in second place

By Amanda Morrall

Knock on wood, I have never broken a bone and this year, apart from a few minor twinges and bruises, I have been injury and accident free. Not to sound like a broken record or anything, but I credit the yoga.

Apparently I've bucked the trend as according to a star-charted accident and injury inventory from ACC, Virgos were second most injury prone this year, accounting for more than 4,400 accidents. Turns out most of them were sports related too, surely not the yoga although I did read there had been a sharp spike in the number of accidents on the mat.

Incidentally, Librans took top honours for highest number of injuries between Dec.24, 2011 and Jan.4, 2012.

For fun, ACC decided to see if the zodiac offered any insight into which sun sign may be more, or less, accident prone.

Here's how it breaks down with some sensible advice at the end about how to prevent injury.

 Aries  Known for rushing head-first into all of life’s experiences, this sign lodged 4047 claims last holiday season.  Slow down and don’t run around corners is advice worth heeding this summer, but will you take any notice?

 Taurus  A fairly sedate earth sign, Taureans nevertheless lodged 4245 claims last summer.  Most were for minor injuries, so tuning into your calm, relaxed inner self could help keep you peaceful and injury free this year.  

 Gemini  With energy to burn and a thirst for stimulation, strains and sprains were common injuries for these zodiacal twins, who lodged 4279 claims last holidays.  So remember to ‘bend and stretch’ before hitting the pavements to burn off that Christmas lunch.

 Cancer  This romantic water sign made 4243 ACC claims last holidays, with a common outdoor theme for minor injuries. Take special care, therefore, when frolicking al fresco over the summer break .

 Leo  Of the 4275 claims Leos lodged last holidays, falls were common for this feisty but not so fleet footed sign. Paying extra attention to ladder safety could keep you from roaring into the A&E over the summer.

 Virgo  The second-most accident prone sign, practical Virgoans lodged 4419 claims last holidays.  Many were sport related, so warm up, cool down and play by the rules, which are there to promote safety, as well as fair play.

 Libra  The sign which lodged more claims – 4614 - last holidays than any other, with garden-related injuries a common theme. Watch out for slippery paths to avoid slipping up to the same extent this year and everything should come up roses.

 Scorpio One of the more passionate zodiac signs, Scorpions lodged 4013 claims last holidays. A little more ardour and sizzle for safety may be just the ticket for staying out of harm’s way these holidays.

 Sagittarius  Unsurprisingly, the outdoors figured prominently in the 4000 claims lodged by these lovers of wide open spaces last holidays. Remember, out of doors doesn’t mean out of trouble, so think safety when communing with mother nature.

 Capricorn  Take a bow Capricorn, you were the safest sun sign last holidays, lodging just 3807 claims. There was a mix of indoor and outdoor injuries, so keep thinking safe whether it’s a roof or blue sky above you these holidays.

 Aquarius Talkative Aquarians lodged the second-lowest number of claims - 3933 – last holidays.  Minor car accidents were noted in a number of claims, however, so less chatter and more concentration could be the trick to keeping safe this year.

 Pisces One of the safer signs, with just 3954 claims last holidays. Many Pisceans tended to have accidents indoors, so a visit to www.homesafety.co.nz could work wonders for this compassionate sign this summer.

Simple steps to stay safe:

• clear away clutter and wipe up spills in the home, where around one third of accidents happen
• use alcohol responsibly – ACC estimates at least a fifth of claims are alcohol-related
•  warm up and cool down if playing sport or exercising - activities that lead to roughly one quarter of ACC claims.