Improvements in vehicle safety have attributed to a 56% decline in car occupant deaths in the last 20 years. RoadSafe says the Department for Transport figures 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 director Adrian Walsh warns:

“There is still an onus on car-users to drive responsibly. 24% admit they do not always wear a seatbelt, even though you are twice as likely to die in a crash without one. All the technology in the world won’t make a difference if people don’t use this simple restraint system.”

Road user error remains the most commonly reported contributing factor in accidents. 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 far farfetched as it seems.

Systems to help drivers avoid accidents are already available in some vehicles, and the European Commission is looking to make many compulsory in the next ten years.

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