The year 2010 was one of the safest years in history in terms of highway safety. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, last year saw the lowest number of fatal car accidents since 1949. The statistic is staggering considering the huge increase in the number of cars on the road today and the increase in the United State's population. Officials with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration say that driver distraction in the form of cell phone use while driving is the major car accident cause to address going forward.

Over the last year, highway fatalities in the United States declined by 1,000 people. The number of people who died from highway accidents in 2009 was 33,808 and that number fell to 32,788 in 2010. Even though the number of highway fatalities significantly decreased, over 5 million car crashes occurred in 2009. Furthermore, car accidents remain the number one cause of death for people ages 3 to 34.

The biggest factor in the reduction of the number of highway deaths has been a generation of safer passenger vehicles on the road. The biggest factor in fatal car accidents is bad driver behavior including alcohol use and driver distraction. While government entities like the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration advocate for improved highway safety measures, officials from the organization say the choices of individuals and the consequential risk cannot be completely mitigated by legislation.

One thing the agency is currently advocating is cooperation between the auto industry and the communications industry to promote products and services that will keep the attention of drivers on the road.

Source: Wardsauto.com, "NHTSA to report decline in U.S. highway fatalities," Herb Shuldiner, 5/4/11