Highway Safety 1979 : a report on activities under the Highway Safety Act of 1966 as amended January 1, 1979 - December 31, 1979.

The Federal safety standards and programs for highway and motor vehicle safety that have been instituted since 1966 have combined to reduce the fatality rate by 39% (number of deaths per 100 million miles driven). In other words, a motorist today can drive more than 1.600 miles with the same degree of risk as someone who drove 1.000 miles in 1966. This improvement has come about despite large increases in traffic that could have sent the death rate higher registered motor vehicles up 67%; licensed drivers up to 42%; and vehicle miles driven up 64%.