The fatality rate on the nation's highways in 2004 was thelowest since record-keeping began 30 years ago, according to arecent analysis by the National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration.

“Drivers are safer today on our nation's highways than they haveever been, in part because of the safer cars, higher safety-beltuse, and stronger safety laws that this department has helpedchampion,” said Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta.

Last year in the United States, 42,636 people were killed invehicular accidents, down from 42,884 in 2003. The fatality rateper 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.46 in 2004, down from1.48 in 2003. The fatality rate has been steadily improving since1966 when 50,894 people died and the rate was 5.5, NHTSA noted. Atthe same time, drivers have increased their vehicle miles traveled,to 2.92 trillion in 2004, up from 2.89 trillion in 2003.”

Since 2001, the number of states with primary safety-belt lawshas increased to 22, along with the District of Columbia and PuertoRico, leading to an 80 percent safety-belt use level, the highestever. In 2004, 55 percent of those killed in passenger vehicleswere not wearing safety belts. In addition, all states, plus theDistrict of Columbia and Puerto Rico, now have 0.08 blood alcohollaws for drivers.

Not all the news is good, however. NHTSA's Fatality AnalysisReporting System also shows that, between 2003 and 2004, motorcyclefatalities increased from 3,714 to 4,008, an 8 percent rise, androllover deaths among passenger vehicle occupants increased 1.1percent, from 10,442 to 10,553. Despite an increase in mediaattention to the poor safety ratings of sport utility vehicles,total fatalities in sport utility vehicle accidents increased 5.6percent, from 4,483 to 4735, while fatalities in passenger cars,pickup trucks, and vans decreased a total of 834.