Better Auto Safety Features Lead to 25 PC Decline in Car Crash Deaths in Last Decade
Deaths in cars crashes have gone down by 25 percent in the last decade in the United States because of better safety features in the new cars.
A report by the Wall Street Journal based on the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that the death rate declined by 3.1 percent in 2013 and injuries 2.1 percent.
New safety features such as the electronic stability systems in the latest car models are majorly responsible for the decline. This feature prevents the car from flipping on impact. A NHTSA report estimated that electronic stability control saved over 1,100 lives in 2012 alone.
Stability control is huge," said John Capp, director of global vehicle safety for General Motors to the WSJ. "It's head and shoulders above any other technology, since the seat belt, in terms of effectiveness."
This year has seen major car recalls, a record 52.5 million U.S. vehicles, by big brands over safety issues and equipment defects.
General Motors recalled 2.6 million small cars for an ignition-switch defect linked to 42 deaths, despite knowing about the problem for more than a decade. Takata Corp. air bag inflaters made between 2000 and 2007 have been defective with the danger of rupturing on impact.
Deaths in cars and light trucks have come down, although motorcycles and pedestrian deaths have not seen a similar decline.
Other factors contributing to the lower fatality rates are better compliance to safety regulations like seat belts and car seats for infants
