The NHTSA report shows the likelihood of escaping a crash uninjured improved from 79 to 82 percent as a result of improvements between the MY 2000 and 2008 cars. The report used statistical models to isolate vehicle improvements from human and environmental factors. NHTSA data show traffic fatalities have been on a steady decline in the past decade, falling to 32,885 in 2010 – the lowest level in six decades – despite Americans driving more miles than previous years.
To view NHTSA’s “An Analysis of Recent Improvements to Vehicle Safety,” visit http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811572.pdf