According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the United States traffic deaths hit an all time low back in 2007, when there were 1.37 deaths per 100 million miles driven.  There were a total of 41,059 deaths, which is 1,600 less than in 2006.

Mary Peters, who is the Transportation Secretary, claims that the decline is due to efforts of law-enforcement, as well as vehicles that have added safety features.  Now, with electronic stability control, and side airbags, people have an increased chance of surviving crashes that would have once been fatal.

The state experiencing the biggest decline was California, with 266 fewer fatalities, while North Carolina experienced the biggest increase, with 121 more fatalities.

Just as experts predicted, 2008 is already experiencing even fewer accident related deaths, not just because of the increasing safety standards, but also mainly because of gas prices.  Americans are trying to keep money in their wallets by keeping their current cars, purchasing used car warranties, and cutting back on driving.  Fewer motorists on the roads have meant less fatal accidents.