Originally Posted by
WSJ
FOR THE FIRST TIME in six years, traffic fatalities declined on American roads -- a development that regulators credit not to safer driving but to safer vehicles and wider use of seat belts.
The decline was slight -- to 42,643 deaths last year, 362 fewer than in 2002, according to government figures released yesterday. Still, the decline came even while people were driving more, meaning the ratio of traffic deaths to miles driven fell to a record of 1.48 fatalities for every 100 million miles driven. Alcohol-related traffic deaths, while still high at 17,013, fell nearly 3%, reversing a three-year trend.
One significant caution for drivers was that despite the great deal of attention being paid to safety issues surrounding sport-utility vehicles, the number of fatalities in SUVs from rollover accidents increased 7%, amid a 12% increase in the number of SUVs on the roads...
...Vehicles also have simply become safer, as front air bags became standard equipment in all new cars. Safety remains one of the concerns most often cited by consumers when purchasing new cars, which hasn't been lost on auto makers. Manufacturers now are offering side-impact air bags, which can help occupants of cars hit by larger sport-utility vehicles, as optional and sometimes standard equipment on more vehicles.
Safer roadways contributed to the improved crash statistics as well, says Kathryn Swanson, chairwoman of the Governors Highway Safety Association and director of the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety. "I wish I could say it's safer drivers," she says, "but I'm afraid that's probably not it."
An increase in SUV rollover fatalities remains a troubling spot in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's report. The issue is likely to be of major concern to SUV owners and car buyers, particularly in light of data released Monday that showed more than a third of the most popular new SUVs road-tested by the NHTSA last year tipped up on two wheels, the precursor to a rollover crash.
Manufacturers increasingly are installing new safety systems in SUVs to prevent rollovers, such as electronic stability-control systems, since the vehicles remain more prone to rollovers than cars or pickup trucks. Still, the improvements haven't yet led to reduced fatalities.