"Good News for Auto Industry: Traffic Deaths Plummet"
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/good-news-for-auto-industry-traffic-deaths-plummet/19395151
"Fewer people died in car crashes in 2009 than in any year since 1954, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported today. The 33,963 people killed on the road last year was 8.9 percent less than the number reported in 2008, according to preliminary data. Overall, traffic fatalities have fallen 22 percent since 2005, and the fatality rate is now the lowest on record."
i presume "rate" is calculated with reference to passenger-miles. these are absolutely phenomenal numbers, and although many factors are cited, including the economy, i think modern automotive safety technology can get the major kudos for this.