Vehicle safety cuts deaths by 56%

23 September 2010

Improvements in vehicle safety have attributed to a 56% decline in car occupant deaths in the last 20 years. The figures taken from Department for Transport statistics, are a testament to innovation in the automotive industry.

Between 1989 and 2009, car occupant deaths fell from 2,426 to 1,059, and the latest DfT figures suggest the rate of decline is increasing. From 2008 to 2009, the number of car occupants killed fell sharply by 16%.

Government links this significant decline to safety developments, including airbags, and ABS. RoadSafe congratulates engineers and manufacturers for their contribution, but there is still an onus on car users to drive responsibly.

The DfT statistics show, failure to look properly was a contributory factor in 38% of crashes reported to police in 2009. In accidents involving 27% of fatalities, at least one reported contributing factor was exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions.

Looking to the future of crash prevention, car safety is set to improve with increasingly sophisticated technology. RoadSafe’s ideal vehicle is one that actively prevents collisions. It is a vision that may not be as farfetched as it seems.

eSafetyAware has information about the latest safety technologies.