Introduction - The primary objective of this study was to describe, for the first time, the pattern of mortality from accidents of daily life (ADL) in Réunion based on mortality data from Inserm’s CépiDC for the years 2000 to 2004. The secondary objective was to compare these data with those from mainland France. Methods - Data were extracted from the CépiDC database. Results were calculated using the "accidents" category from the external causes of injury section of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), 10th revision, expressed as case numbers, crude rates per capita for the population of Réunion in 2002, and age-standardized rates. Results - Between 2000 and 2004, 736 strokes were recorded on the island of Réunion (average annual standardized rate: 30.5). An excess mortality rate was observed among men: 37.2 per 100,000 compared to 24.2 per 100,000 for women (rate ratio: 1.5). Rates increased significantly with age starting at one year, but nearly half of the deaths occurred in the largest age group, 25–64 years. Falls (6.2/100,000), drowning (2.7/100,000), and suffocation (2.1/100,000) were the leading causes of accidental death. The mortality rate decreased by 26% between 2000 and 2004, mainly due to a decline in the number of male deaths by drowning. Discussion - Conclusion - Réunion had a higher rate of fatal AcVCs than mainland France, but this difference appears to be gradually narrowing. Many fatal accidents can still be prevented through improved prevention and regulation. (R.A.)